Co  tfje  Children 

Who  have  been  robbed  of  their  birth- 
right, by  the  trivialities,  the  greed  and 
avarice  of    our    civilization,  this    book 
is  affectionately  dedicated 


Courtesy  of  Miss  Bessie  D.  Stoddarl. 

"NATURE   STUDY" 
AROUND   THE    FISH    TOM) 

Los  Angeles 


"Important  as  it  is  to  direct  the  industries  of  the  world,  it  is  not  so  important  as  to 
wisely  direct  the  leisure  (the  relaxation)  of  the  world." — George  Eliot. 


PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE 

AND 

PLAYCRAFT 


VOLUME  ONE 

A  Popular  Text-book  of  Playground  Philosophy,  Architecture, 
Construction  and  Equipment 


Edited  bv 

ARTHUR  LELAND,  B.RE. 

Formerly    Director   of  Athletics  and   Gymnastics,    University   of   Denier;    Physical 
Director  V.  M.  ('.  A.,  Ouensboro.  Ky.;  Supervisor  of  Playgrounds, 
Louisville,  Ky.,  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  Denver,  Col. 

and 

LORNA  HIGBEE  LELAND,  B.L. 

Formerly   Executive    Secretary    Minnesota   State  Art  Society;    Assistant   Supervisor 

of  Playgrounds,  St.  Paul,  Minn.;  Secretary  Department  of 

Physical  Education  at  Denver  Convention  of 

National  Education  Association 


Second  Edition 


Published  by 

DOUBLEDAY  PAGE  &  CO. 

NEW  YORK 
1913 


The  Advisory  Committee 


Db.  Hknhy  S.  Cruris,  Playground  Lecturer  Harvard  Sum- 
mer School;  Formerly  Supervisor  of  Playgrounds,  Washing- 
ton, I).  C.;   Secretary  Playground  Association  of  America. — E. 

B.  I)e  Groot,  Playground  Lecturer,  Chicago  School  of  Philan- 
thropy; Director  of  Playgrounds,  Chicago  South  Park  Commis- 
sion.— Miss  BESSIE  D.  St0DDABT,  Secretary  Playground  Com- 
mission, Ia>s  Angeles,  Cat. — Mykon  T.  ScUDDER,  Professor 
of  the  Science  of  Education,  Rutgers  College;  Playground 
Lecturer  University  of  Maine. — Harry  W.  Leland.  H.S.. 
Supervisor  of  Manual  Training,  Leominster,  Mass. — George 
A.  Parker,  Superintendent  of  Parks,  Hartford,  Conn. — 
Arthur  V.  Parker,  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Parks, 
Worcester,  Mass. — Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  Author  of 
"Modern  Civic  Art,"  Rochester,  N.  Y. — Dr.  Clark  VY. 
Hetherington,  Professor  of  Physical  Education,  University 
of  Missouri;  Missouri  State  Playground  Movement. — Dn. 
Charles  A.  Eastman,  Author  of  "Indian  Boyhood,"  Am- 
herst, Mass. — Judge  Ben  B.  Lindsey,  Juvenile  Court,  Den- 
ver, Col. — William  A.  Stecher,  G.G.,  Director  of  Physical 
Education,  Philadelphia  Public  Schools;  Secretary  Playground 
Association  of  Philadelphia. — Thomas  Curley,  Massachusetts 
State  Playground  Committee,  Waltham,  Mass. — John  Golden, 
President  Textile  Workers'  Union  of  America,  Fall  River, 
Mass. — Miss  Patty  Hill,  Kindergarten  Department,  Teachers' 
College,  New  York  City. 


b  * 

t 
I  •        » 


Copyright,  1909,  by 
ARTHUR  LELAND 

All  rights  reserved 


PREFACE 

IT  has  fallen  to  our  lot  to  act  as  guide  for  the  infant  steps  of  several  play- 
ground movements.  In  the  early  days  many  problems  confronted 
the  playground  worker.  The  woods  were  full  of  philosophies  but 
the  practical  application  had  to  be  worked  out  by  hard  knocks.  During 
the  past  years,  we  have  been  the  recipients  of  many  of  these;  making  many 
mistakes,  we  have  acquired  some  practical  knowledge  and  perhaps  chanced 
upon  the  proper  solution  of  some  problems. 

In  presenting  this  book,  we  hope  that  as  a  result  some  may  be  spared 
many  of  the  commonest  mistakes  and  may  profit  by  the  things  which  have 
been  found  essential,  when  judged  by  our  own  experience  and  the  experi- 
ence of  other  pioneer  workers  in  the  play  movement,  whose  work  has 
assisted  in  the  preparation  of  this  book. 

The  attempt  will  be  made  in  this  series  to  correlate  the  work  of  the 
various  playground  interests  throughout  the  country.  The  salient  features 
in  a  number  of  typical  playground  movements  will  be  described.  As  the 
ground  to  be  covered  is  so  extensive,  only  those  which  have  made  unusual, 
unique  and  historical  contributions  to  playground  knowledge  can  be  given 
place  in  the  discussion. 

Necessarily  this  series  could  be  prepared  only  through  the  combined 
experience  and  cooperation  of  the  many  workers  who  have  contributed  to 
the  play  movement. 

The  editors  extend  thanks  and  acknowledgment  of  assistance  to  these 
workers  for  permission  to  use  extracts  from  their  writings  and  to  the  members 
of  the  Advisory  Committee  for  suggestions,  assistance  and  special  articles. 

To  the  various  magazines  and  publishers,  who  have  given  permission 
for  reprinting  the  articles  so  credited  in  the  book. 

To  Dr.  William  W.  Hastings  for  reading  manuscript  and  making 
suggestions  thereon. 

To  Olmsted  Bros.,  John  Bacon  Hutchings,  Hunt,  Eager  and  Burns, 
and  others  for  plans  of  playgrounds  and  buildings  which  are  incorporated 
in  the  book. 

To  Lafon  Allen,  President  of  the  Recreation  League,  and  John  Bacon 
Hutchings  for  furnishing  photographs  of  Louisville  playgrounds. 

To  Charies  Mulford  Robinson  and  the  Children's  Playground  League 
for  photographs  of  Rochester  playgrounds. 

To  Miss  Bessie  D.  Stoddart  and  C.  B.  Raitt  for  photographs,  plans, 
descriptions  and  estimates  of  Los  Angeles  playgrounds. 


C  P3EPACB 

To  the  Massachusetts  Civic  League,  Joseph  Lee  and  Mr.  Hartman, 
Secretary,  for  photographs. 

To  the  officers  and  committees  of  The  Playground  Association  of 
America  and  the  American  Civic  Association  for  permission  to  reprint 
extracts  from  publications,  committee  reports  and  other  assistance. 

To  William  A.  Steelier  for  photographs  of  Philadelphia  playgrounds 

and  other  assistance. 

To  Dr.  Chas.  A.  Eastman  for  permission  to  reprint  parts  of  "Indian 
Boyhood." 

To  E.  B.  De  Groot  for  plans  and  matter  relating  to  Chicago  play- 
grounds. 

To  Mrs.  Charles  F.  Weller,  Madeline  McDowell  Breckenridge.  Dr. 
Henry  S.  Curtis,  Harry  W.  Leland  and  Myron  T.  Scudder  for  preparing 
special  articles. 

To  all  of  those  who  have  given  permission  to  reprint  articles  and  ex- 
tracts further  acknowledgment  of  which  is  made  in  connection  with  the 
articles  printed. 

On  account  of  the  size  of  the  field  to  be  covered  we  have  been  obliged 
to  produce  this  work  in  two  volumes.  Volume  one  will  treat  of  the  general 
philosophy  of  play  and  the  technique  of  playground  construction,  beautifi- 
cation  and  equipment. 

It  will  also  discuss  the  philosophy  and  technique  of  constructive  play, 
or  the  relation  of  the  child  through  play  to  the  world  of  nature  and  material 
things.  It  introduces  "Plavcraft,"  the  Educational  Method  of  Building 
Playgrounds. 

This  system  of  manual  training,  in  which  the  children  make  the  things 
with  which  they  play,  will  be  further  developed  in  a  second  volume,  es- 
pecially with  relation  to  its  practical  application  to  minor  play  materials. 
Volume  two  will  also  contain  a  discussion  of  Playground  Administration, 
Supervision  and  Operation,  including  a  course  in  athletic  and  social  activi- 
ties adapted  for  playground  use. 

The  authors  would  appreciate  correspondence  regarding  any  points  not  made  clear  in  this 
book.     Any  suggestions  or  criticisms  will  be  gratefully  received. 


CONTENTS 

Page 
Prefai  i.  ....  .  .  5 

Introdi  i  won,  by  Dr.  William  W.  Hastings        .......  13 

PART  I.     THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  PLAY  AND  ITS  APPLICATION 

Chapter  I.     Plat,  Childhood  and  the  Playground,  Their  Respective  Places, 

by  Arthur  Leland 19 

A.  The  Meaning  of  Play  and  Childhood      .......  lit 

1.  The  Biological  Theory  of  Life.  2.  Instinct  and  Tradition.  3.  The  Meaning  of  Child- 
hood.     4.    The  Educational  Value  of  Instinct  and  Play. 

B.  The  Place  of  the  Playground .22 

1.  From  Play  to  Work.  2.  The  Playground  and  the  Play  Director.  3.  The  Playground 
and  the  School.  4.  Life.  5.  Recreation  and  Unskilled  Labor.  6.  Why  Recreation  Should 
Be  Supplied  at  Public  Expense. 

Chapter  II.     Theories  of  Play     .........  26 

1.  The  Surplus  Energy  Theory.  2.  The  Recreation  Theory.  3.  The  Biological  Theory. 
4.  The  Psychological  Standpoint.  5.  The  ^Esthetic  Standpoint.  6.  Sociological  Value. 
7.     Pedagogical  Value. 

Chapter  III.     The  Contrlbotion  of  the  North   American  Indian  to  the 

Playgroi  \u  Movement  .........  28 

A.     Selections  from  "Indian  Boyhood,"  by  Dr.  Charles  A.  Eastman  (Ohiyesa)  29 

1.     An  Indian  Buys  Training.      ........  29 

Chapter  IV.     The  Playground  as  a  Phase  of  Social  Reform         .         .         .  :14 

A.  The  (  itv  Bov '         .  .  34 

B.  The  Need  of  Athletics  for  Girls,  by  Mrs.  Charles  F.  Weher     .         .  35 

Chapter  V.     Playgrounds  and  Delinquency  ......  38 

A.  Public  Playgrounds  and  Juvenile  Delinquency,  by  Judge  Ben  B.  Lindsey  38 

B.  Relation  of  Playgrounds  to  Juvenile  Delinquency,  by  Allen  T.  Burns  42 

C.  Playgrounds  and  the  Grand  Jury  ......  43 

Chapter  VI.     The   Need   of   Playgrounds   and   Organized   Play    in    Rural 

Districts,  by  Myron  T.  Scuddei  .......  11 

Chapter  VII.     The  Playground  and  Public  Hygiene  ....  Hi 

A.     The  Plavjjround  as  a  Factor  in  School  Hygiene,  by  George  E.  Johnson  Mi 

.".(I 
50 
51 
52 


B.  Hygienic  Notes,  by  William  W.  Hastings,  Ph.D. 

C.  Hygienic  Value  of  the  Swimming  Pool,  by  Dr.  J.  II.   Kellogg 
1).  Good  Health  and  Good  Government,  by  Hon.  James  F.  Burke 
E.  One  Million  Pupils  Doomed  ...... 


PART  II.    PLAYGROUND  ARCHITECTURE  AND  LANDSCAPE  GARDENING 

Chapter  VIII.    The  Playground  Beautiful,  by  Arthur  Leland  and  Lorna  Higbee 

Leland,  Playground  Architects      ......  .  .">  1 

A.  Need  of  Beautifying  Playgrounds  ....  .  .">  1 

B.  Importance  of  a  Comprehensive  Plan      ...  .  56 

Chapter  IX.     The  Development  of  Playground  Landsi  ipe  Gardening  and 

Architecture  in  the  United  States         ....  58 

1.  The  Snoct  Field.  2.  The  Genesis  of  the  Outdoor  Gymnasium.  3.  The  Recreation 
Park,  Louisville.  4.  The  Model  Playground  Triangle  Park.  5.  The  First  Wading  Pool 
of  the  Country  in  a  Small  Park.  6.  Central  Park.  7.  The  Model  Small  Playground. 
8.  A  System  of  Supervised  Playgrounds.  9.  Philadelphia,  the  John  Dickinson  Play- 
ground. 10.  New  York.  11.  Chicago.  12.  St.  Paul  Playgrounds.  13.  Canandaigua, 
X.  V.      14.      Rochester,  X.  Y. 


S  CONTENTS 

Page 
Chapteb  X.    The  Recreation  Parks  of  Chicago,  by  Henry  S.  Curtis,  Ph.D.     .         70 

I.  Origin.  2.  Description.  3.  Manner  of  Appointment  of  Board.  4.  Cost.  5.  Com- 
bine Beauty  and  Utility.  6.  Outdoor  Gymnasium  for  Men.  7.  Playground  for  Small 
Children.     B.     Outdoor  Swimming  Pool.     9.     Field  Houses.     10.     Branch  of  Public  Library. 

II.  Indoor  Gymnasium  for  Men.  12.  Auditorium  and  Club  Room.  13.  Supervision 
and  Maintenance. 

Chapter  XI.     Platorot  nds  Down  in  the  Blue  Grass  ("In  Old  Kaintuck''), 

by  Madeline  McDowell  Brakenridge  .......  78 

PART  III.    PLAYGROUND  CONSTRUCTION 

Chapter  XII.    Construction  Methods  .....  .82 

A.  Grades  and  Drainage  ........  82 

1.  The  First  Work.  2.  Drainage.  3.  Specifications  for  Brick  Meter  Box.  1.  Water 
System.      5.     Retaining  a  Slope. 

B.  Playing  Surfaces  ..........  84 

1.      Running  Track.      2.     Baseball  Diamond.      3.     Under  Swings.      4.     Under  Giant  Stride. 

5.  Under  see-saws.  6.  Under  Flying  Dutchman.  7.  Under  Gymnasium.  8.  Basket- 
ball Court..  9.  Tennis  Courts.  10.  For  Games.  11.  Dancing.  12.  Artistic  Tennis 
Courts.       13.     Swimming  Pools. 

Chapter  XIII.    The  North  Denver  Playground,  by  Arthur  Leland       .  89 

1.     Improvements  Completed.       2.     Improvements  Projected. 

Chapter  XIV.     The  Evolution  of  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  Playgrounds,  by  Arthur 

Leland  and  Lorna  Higbee  Leland  ........  91 

1.  First  Attempts.  2.  Public  Baths  and  Playgrounds.  3.  The  Present  Movement. 
4.  How  Land  Was  Secured.  5.  ^Supervision.  6.  Grading,  Landscape  Gardening  and 
Buildings.  7.  Play  Equipment.  *  8.  Opening  Day.  9.  Playground  Benefit  Baseball 
Game.  10.  Charter  Amendment.  11.  The  Children  Secure  Votes.  12.  Publicity. 
13.  Two  Baseball  Leagues  Organized.  14.  School  Teams  Organized.  15.  Attendance. 
16.  Fourth  of  July  Play  Festival.  17.  Sources  of  St.  Paul's  Success.  18.  Park  Board  and 
Advisory  Playground  Committee.  19.  Politics.  20.  Night  Playgrounds.  21.  Shower 
Baths.  22.  Playground  Self-government.  23.  The  Playground  School  Athletic  League. 
24.  From  Report  of  Superintendent  of  Parks.  25.  Fighting  the  Street  Railway  to  Save 
the  Playground.  26.  Playground  Extension.  27.  Gymnastic  Equipment.  28.  Minne- 
sota State  Law. 

Chapter  XV.  An  Ideal  Development  for  a  Playground  on  an  Irregular 
Tract  op  Land  Between  Five  and  Six  Acres  in  Extent,  by  Lorna  Hig- 
bee Leland 109 

1.  Grades.  2.  Walks  and  Tracks.  3.  Fences.  4.  Landscape  Gardening.  5.  Play 
Facilities.  6.  Boys'  Playground.  7.  Girls'  Playground.  8.  Little  Children's  Play- 
ground. 9.  For  Boys  and  Men.  10.  For  All.  11.  Xeighborhood  Club  House.  12. 
General  Remarks. 

Chapter  XVI.    Landscape  Gardening  .......        115 

1.     Trees.        2.     Shrubs.        3.     Flowers.       4.     Vines.       5.     Rules  for  Landscape  Gardening. 

6.  The  Use  of  Water.  7.  Wading  Pools  for  School  Yards.  8.  Shade.  9.  Playground 
Conditions  Best  When   Like  Country.       10.     Shade  Absolutely  Necessary. 

Chapter  XVII.     Fences  and  Hedges  .......         120 

1.  Reasons  for  Fencing  Playgrounds.  2.  Kinds  of  Fencing.  3.  The  Gates.  4.  Wire 
Fence  and  Specifications.      5.     Specifications  of  Fence. 

Chapter  XVIII.    Los  Angeles  Playgrounds  and  Buildings  .         .         .        123 

A.  Playgrounds  .  .  .  .123 

1.  Visiting  Nurse's  Headquarters.  2.  Club  House.  3.  Plavground  Librarv.  4.  The 
Story  Hour.      5.     The  Girls'  Club.      6.     Boys'  Club. 

B.  Celebrations  During  the  Year         ........         129 

1.  Christmas.  2.  Circus  Day.  3.  Opening  of  Field  House.  4.  Fourth  of  July.  5. 
Annual  Inter-playground  Track  Meet.      6.     Special  Features. 

C.  Ix)s  Angeles  Buildings  .........  133 

1.  Club  House.  2.  Recreation  Center.  3.  Specifications  of  Municipal  Recreation 
Center.      4.     Specifications  of  Club  House. 

D.  Los  Angeles  Apparatus  (Home  Made)  ......         156 


CONTENTS  9 

PART  IV.     PHILOSOPHY  OF  CONSTRUCTIVE  PLAY 

Chapter  XIX.     The  Place  of  Constructive  Play  in  the  Development  of 

the  Individual  and  the  Race  as  Contrasted  with  Athletics  and  Social      Page 
Play,  by  Arthur  Leland,  B.P.E.  160 

A.  Value  of  the  Two  Types  of  Play     ....  .  .  160 

1.  Athletic  ami  Social  Play.  2.  Constructive  Team  Play.  •'{.  Intelligence  Developed 
Through  Weakness.  4.  Stones  for  Bread.  5.  Children  Should  Make  Their  Own  Toys  ('< 
Constructive  Plaj  in  Education. 

B.  Franklin:  An  Example  in  Play  Education         .....  164 

1.  Franklin's  Childhood  Training.  2  Practice  Not  Theory  :(  The  Play  School.  1  The 
Playground  and  Adult  Activity. 


PART  V.     THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  CONSTRUCTIVE  PLAY 
Chapter  XX.     Playground  Manual  Training         ..... 

A.  Industrial  Work  Recommended  by  Committee  on  Normal  Course  of  Play 

B.  Constructive  Play  Activities  for  Children  of  Different  Ages,  by  Harry  W 
Leland.  B.S. 

C.  Athletics  and  Manual  Training  Correlated 

D.  The  Playcraft  League    ....... 

Chapter  XXI.     Domestic  Science  ..... 

1.      Housekeeping  and  Cooking.     2.      Domestic  Economy.     3.      A   Model   Workman's   Hon 
4.      Play  Hygiene.     5.     Domestic  Science  in  the  Country  School. 

Chapter  XXII.     Playground  Excursions  and  Camps 

A.  Excursions  .....  .  . 

B.  Poisonous  Plants  ....... 


C.     Camps  ......... 

1.     Home  Made  Tent.     2.     Family  Camps.     H      A  Vacation  on  a   Haft,  In 
4.     A  Bibliography  of  Camps. 


A.  S    Atkinson 


Chapter  XXIII.     The  Play  Course  in  Forestry  and  Gardening 

A.  Extracts  from  School  Gardens,  Bulletin  No.  160        .... 

B.  Extracts  from  Home  Gardening  Association,  Cleveland,  Ohio 

C.  Experimentation  ......... 

D.  Creation  of  New  Species  ........ 

E.  A  Plan  of  Reforestation  ........ 

1.     Bibliography.    2.    Hooks  Recommended  by  Committee  on  Normal  Course  in  Play. 

Chapter  XXIV.     Pets  and  the  Domestication  of  Animals    . 


168 
168 

170 
170 
170 

173 

176 
176 
176 

177 

181 
181 
185 

187 
187 
188 

190 


PART  VI.     THE  EDUCATIONAL  METHOD  OF  BUILDING  PLAYGROUNDS 
Chapter  XXV.     Home  Made  Equipment  .  .  .  .  192 

A.  The  Advantages  of  Home  Made  Equipment     .....  192 

B.  Common  Sense  in  Playground  Equipment        ......  194 

('.     Some  Inexpensive  Playground  Apparatus,  by  Dr.  E.  H.  Arnold  .  19.5 


The  Jumping  Pit.     2. 
The  Jumping  Stairs. 


The  Balancing  Tree.     .3.     The  Hillock.     4.     The  Climbing  Tree 


D.  What  Apparatus  to  Have 

E.  Materials 


1.      Rope.     2.     Steel  Cable  and  Hemp  Hope.     .'<.     Frames.     4.     Frictionless  Joints      5 

6.      Concrete. 


Wood 


L96 

198 


10  CONTENTS 

Chapter  XXVI.     Platcraft — Home  Made  Apparatus,  Plans,  Specifications 

wi>  Directions  fob  the  Manufacture  of  the  Same,  by  A.  and  L.  H.  Leland,      Page 
Playground  Architects  ..........        201 

This  chapter  i-  also  issu  •'!  in  the  form  ■  >!"  reprints  for  use  in  the  construction  <>f  apparatus 

1.  Plan  of  Construction  and  Specifications  for  Basketball  Goals  and  Screens,  and 

[ron  Pipe  Jump  Standards,  (2)  plans,  (6)  figures  201 

2.  Plan  of  Construction  and  Specifications  for  Horizontal  Bars  and  Parallel  Bars, 

(1)  plan.  (.'!)  figures    ....  204 

3.  Plan  of  Construction  and  Specifications  for  Sand  B<>\  and  Frame  Braces.  (2) 
plans,  (4)  figures        ...  .  206 

4.  Plan  of  Construction.  Specifications  and  Contract  for  Furnishing  Flying  Dutch- 
man, (1)  halftone,  (1)  plan,  (3)  figures  ....  208 

5.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Swing  Frames  with  Standard  Fittings  and 

with  Universal  Clamp  Fittings,  (1)  halftone,  (2)  plans,  (5)  figures  -211 

6.  Directions  for  Making  Swings  and  Assembling  Rope  Fittings,  Home  Made  and 

with  Special  Castings,  (1)  halftone,  (6)  plans,  (10)  figures        .  .  417 

7.  Directions  for  Making  Home  Made  Wagon  Skein  Giant  Stride,  and  Home  Made 
Giant  Stride  with  Machined  Head,  (2)  plans,  (7)  figures         ....  -2-ii 

8.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Four  and  Five  Board  Teeter  Frames,  with 
Standard  Fittings,  and  with  Universal  Clamp  Fittings,  Directions  for  Making  Teeter 
Boards,  (1)  halftone,  (2)  plans,  (6)  figures     .......  -HI 

9.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Back  Yard  Equipment  for  Small  Children, 
Directions  for  Making  Slide  to  be  Attached  to  Swing  Frame,  (3)  plans,  (10)  figures  -2:51 

10.  Directions  for  Making  Combination  Steel  Ladder  and  Chest  Bars  with  Jumping 

Pit  and  Steel  Incline  Ladder  and  Sliding  Poles,  (3)  plans,  (7)  figures  285 

11.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Combination  Swing  and  Gymnasium 
Frame,  Directions  for  Making  Teeter  Ladder,  Steel  and  Wire  Cable  Ladder,  Steel 
Trapeze,  Steel  Climbing  Poles,  and  Trick  Rings,  (2)  plans,  (5)  figures      .  .  239 

12.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  School  Yard  Merry-Go-Round  and  Giant 
Stride  combined,  with  Flipping  Board  Attachment,  (1)  perspective,  (1)  plan,  (6) 
figures       ..............  '24.'$ 

13.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Combination  Teeter  Ladder  and  Slide 
Frame,  Adjustment  Attachment  for  Bottom  of  Slide  for  Life  Cable  and  All  Seasons 
Slide,  with  Directions  for  Attaching  Teeter  Ladder  to  Frame,  (3)  drawings,  (9) 
figures      ..............         447 

14.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Slide  for  Life,  two  styles,  (1)  perspective, 

(2)  plans,  (7)  figures 251 

15.  Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Three-Story  Playground  Equipment,  and 
Directions  for  Making  Incline  Ladder  of  Wood,  (2)  plans,  (6)  figures  .  255 

10.     Directions  for  Making  and  Erecting  Combination  Swing  and  Baby  Swing  Frame 

and  Baby  Swing,  (1)  halftone,  (1)  perspective,  (2)  plans,  (7)  figures  .         256 

Bibliography  ............         260 

Appendix.     The   Proper   Relation   of   Organized   Sports   ox    Public    Play- 
grounds and  ix  Public  Schools,  by  Lorna  Higbee  Leland  .  275 

Ixdex 281 


ILLUSTRATIONS,  DRAWINGS  AND  PLANS 


Frontispiece,  "Nature  Study,"  Around  the  Fish  Pond 
Hurdle  Rare  in  a  Philadelphia  School  Playground 
Little  Children's  Playground,  Triangle  Park,  Louisvi 
♦Plan  of  Charlesbank  Playground 
*Plan  of  Boone  Park,  Louisville 
Wading  Pool  in  Triangle  Park,  Louisville 
The  Tenuis  (  Ourls  ..... 

*Plan  of  Central  Park,  Louisville 
*  Floor  Plan  of  Field  House  and  Pergola,  Central  I 'ark 
Class,  in  Boys'  Gymnasium         .... 
Even  the  Outdoor  Gymnasium  May  Have  a  Pleasant 
Who  Can  Touch  the  Branches? 
*Plan  of  Recreation  Building,  Armour  Square 
♦Hardin  Square,  a  Recent  South  Park  Playground 
Nature's  Summer  Occupation  for  Children 
Women's  Gymnasium        ..... 
The  Swimming  Pool  ..... 

The  Field  House,  Sherman  Park 
*Plan  of  Armour  Square    ..... 
*Plan  of  Brick  Meter  Box  Used  in  St.  Paul 
Baseball  Diamond,  Triangle  Park,  Louisville 
*Plan  of  North  Denver  Playground     . 
Home  Made  Merry-Go-Round 
On  the  Flying  Dutchman  .... 

Plan  of  Como  Avenue  Playground,  St.  Paul 
Bird's-eye  View  of  Como  Avenue  Playground 
♦Elevation  of  Shelter  House,  St.  Paul 
♦Floor  Plan  of  Shelter  House,  St.  Paul 
Sand  Boxes  and  Blocks  for  the  Little  Ones,  St.  Paul 
Swings  are  Popular  ..... 

A  Leaf  from  the  Dodger  Used  in  the  Playground  Cam 
A  Wrestling  Match  ..... 

Kindergarten  (James  for  the  Little  Ones 
Flection  Day  at  Como  Avenue  Playground 
Officers  of  Como  Avenue  Playground  City 
♦Plan  of  Arlington  Hills  Playground,  St.  Paul 
*Plan  of  Como  Park  Playground,  St.  Paul 
♦An  Ideal  Development  for  a  Playground  on  an  Irregul 
and  Six  Acres  in  Extent       .... 

♦Baseball  Rack  Stop 

Neighborhood  Clul>  House,  Central  Park,  Louisville 


Lou 


Setting 


Kv. 


paign 


•ilk 


St.  Paul 


Traci  of  1 


and  between  Five 


Page 

2 
19 
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59 
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(il 
62 
63 
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67 
68 
71 
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7i 
7.5 
76 
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87 
88 
90 
92 
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98 
99 
101 
102 
104 
105 
106 
107 

110 

112 
113 


*Plans  drawn  to  scale. 


11 


u 


lU.lSTKATIOXS 


Artistic  Tennis  Courts,  Hartford  .... 

Ix>t  Nature  Furnish  Shade  ..... 

Ail ist ic  Fence  Posts  ...... 

*Plan  of  a  Serviceable  and  Economical  Fence 

Field  House  at  Echo  Park  Playground,  Los  Angeles     . 

Municipal  Recreation  Center,  Los  Angeles  . 

Porch  of  Superintendent's  Bungalow  Residence,  Ix»s  Angeles 

Living  Room  of  Superintendent,  Los  Angeles 

*Plan  of  Echo  Park  Playground,  Ix>s  Angeles 

Girls'  Basketball,  Los  Angeles  .... 

Echo  Park  Playground  Club  House,  Los  Angeles 
Playground  Library,  Los  Angeles        .... 

Teeter  Boards  on  Vacation  Playground,  Los  Angeles 

♦Basement  Plan  of  Club  House  at  Slauson  Avenue  Playground,  Los  Angeles 
*First  Floor  Plan  of  Club  House,  Slauson  Avenue  Playground,  Los  Angeles 
*Plan  of  Second  Floor  and  Basement  of  Municipal  Recreation  Center,  Los  Angeles 
♦Municipal  Recreation  Center,  Plan  of  Gymnasium,  Auditorium  and  Proposed  Addi 

tions  ......... 

Swings  at  Violet  Street  Playground,  Los  Angeles 

Outdoor  Combination  Gymnasium,  Los  Angeles 

Outdoor  Gymnasium  at  Echo  Park,  Los  Angeles 

Teeter  Ladder,  Los  Angeles        ...... 

"Let  the  Children  Help  Put  Up  Swings" 

"The  Gang  Learns  Building,"  Columbus  Avenue  Playground 

Carpentry  at  Social  Center,  Philadelphia     .... 

Playcraft  at  Philadelphia  ...... 

A  Home  Made  Tent  ....... 

Enjoying  the  Fruits  of  their  Labor      ..... 

Play  Gardening  in  the  Columbus  Avenue  Playground 

Chariot  Race  in  the  Philadelphia  Playground 

Home  Made  Giant  Strides,  Los  Angeles      .... 

t 

The  cuts  and  drawings  for  the  construction  of  Playground  Apparatus  are  listed 
Table  of  Contents  under  the  Titles  for  the  Subject  Matter. 


Page 
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165 
169 
177 
179 
182 
193 
194 

in  the 


*Plans  drawo  to  sca'e. 


INTRODUCTION 

In  presenting  to  the  public  Playground  Technique  and  Play- 
craft  there  is  recorded  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leland  a  step  forward  in  the 
practical  working  out  of  the  real  problems  of  the  whole  playground  move- 
ment. The  authors  have  the  advantage  of  years  of  solid  experience,  and 
speak  not  in  the  manner  of  old  maids  lecturing  on  the  care  of  children  to 
Mothers'  Clubs,  but  as  those  who  have  been  through  the  birth  throes, 
infantile  diseases  and  obstreperous  childhood  of  the  playground  itself. 

Mr.  Leland  is  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  practical  work  of  playground 
organization,  construction  and  administration.  It  is  doubtless  this  fact 
that  has  inspired  the  confidence  which  has  secured  for  him  on  the  Advisory 
Committee  such  a  large  majority  of  the  playground  experts  of  the  United 
States. 

Time  was  when  movements  developed  more  slowly,  and  when  people 
were  satisfied  for  a  generation  with  books  and  pamphlets  dealing  in  popular 
opinions  and  disorganized  generalities,  but  this  is  no  longer  true.  The 
public  demands  facts,  and  it  wants  them  in  accurate  and  organized  form. 
When  we  buy  a  book  today  we  want  the  author  to  have  really  done  our 
thinking  for  us.  We  want  it  well  illustrated  for  the  same  reason.  Time 
was  when  we  expected  only  the  facts  of  a  science  to  be  given  us.  Now 
we  want  to  be  shown  what  to  do  with  the  facts,  how  to  teach  them  to  others 
and  how  to  take  our  place  in  the  organized  movements  of  the  times,  in  brief, 
the  public  has  not  time  to  "  Fletcherize  "  its  mental  pabulum. 

The  playground  movement  has  made  such  phenomenal  strides  in  the 
last  ten  years — even  in  the  last  five  years,  and  the  demand  for  accurate 
information  has  become  so  great  in  every  quarter  that  such  a  book  had 
to  be  provided.  Some  of  the  commonest  needs  and  the  most  frequent 
requests  which  come  to  the  editor  and  to  the  playground  leader  are  with 
reference  to  the  best  books  and  articles  on  games  and  plays  and  on  the 
problems  of  the  movement,  the  best  mode  of  appeal  for  rousing  public 
sympathy  and  touching  pocketbooks,  how  to  organize  a  campaign  for  a 
playground,  what  qualities  should  be  emphasized  in  the  make-up  of  the 
leader  or  supervisor,  what  are  the  sanest  and  most  economical  plans  for 
playground  construction,  what  are  the  essentials  of  playground  equipment, 
and  how  can  the  greatest  economy  of  effort  and  of  money  be  assured. 
Most  of  these  questions  are  answered  in  Playground  Technique  and 
Playcraft  in  a  concise  way  by  practical,  experienced  people. 

In  Playground  Technique  and  Playcraft  there  has  been  grouped 
and  stated  for  the  first  time  the  essentials  of  the  various  phases  of  the  sub- 
ject. That  is  the  chief  function  of  this  work,— to  provide  accurate  infor- 
mation along  every  line  for  the  playground  worker  and  supporter. 

13 


1  [  1NTK01U  <    I  [ON 

A  secondary  bul  exceedingly  importanl  function  of  this  volume  is  the 
provision  of  construction  plans  and  specifications  for  all  useful  playground 
apparatus,  showing  how  to  make  a  dollar  do  the  work  of  two.  First  things 
are  always  the  hardest  to  secure  and  first  money  must  always  he  husbanded 
with  greatesl  care.  This  department  will,  therefore,  prove  invaluable  to 
the  majority  of  supervisors  and  committees  on  construction. 

The  publication  of  reprints  of  tlie.se  construction  plans  and  specifica- 
tions, for  use  by  architects,  contractors,  machine  shops,  mechanics,  and 
others  engaged  in  the  work  of  practical  construction,  will  do  much  to  sim- 

»  ■  *     1    *  1 

plifv  and  cheapen  the  process.  It  puts  accurate  information  within  the 
reach  of  all,  and  encourages  the  equipment  of  model  playgrounds  for  the 
inauguration  of  the  movement  where  it  has  hitherto  been  deemed  imprac- 
ticable. 

There  is  nothing  so  valuable  as  accurate  figures  and  a  well-outlined 
plan  to  inspire  confidence  in  a  movement.  Playground  Technique  and 
Playcraft  will  be  found  helpful  by  all  who  require  real  information  and 
inspiration. 

Wm.  W.  Hastings. 


"The  plays  of  adolescence  are  socialistic,  demanding;  the 
heathen  virtues  of  courage,  endurance,  self-control,  bravery, 

loyalty,  enthusiasm." — Gulirl:. 


"We  have  gone  far  to  civilize  the  business  of  play  out  of 
existence." 

"Rather  a  playground  without  a  school  than  a  school 
without  a  playground."— Dr.  Woods  Hutchinson. 

"Much  of  the  burden  of  future  education,  in  teaching 
children  loyally,  honesty,  cooperation  and  self-sacrifice,  rests 
on  the  public  playground  instructor.  The  very  foundations 
of  the  Republic  are  to  be  worked  out  on  the  public  play- 
ground;  that  is  where  boys  learn  how  to  resist  evil.  A  young 
man  will  never  in  his  life  have  such  great  temptations  in  the 
midst  of  such  absorbing  interests,  as  on  the  ball  field,  when 
he  wants  to  cut  corners.  There  he  learns  that  it  doesn  t  pay 
to  play  crooked.  Where  can  he  show  greater  self-sacrifice  than 
when'  he  effaces  himself  in  order  that  his  team  may  make 
another  run?"—  Thos.  A.  Ciirley. 


"Gentleness  and  cheerfulness,  these  come  before  all 
morality;  they  are  the  perfect  duties." 

"If  your  morals  make  you  dreary,  depend  upon  it  they 
are  wrong.  I  do  not  say  "give  them  up,'  for  they  may  he  all 
you  have;  but  conceal  them  like  a  vice,  lest  they  should  spoil 
the  lives  of  better  and  simpler  people." 

"There  is  an  idea  abroad  among  moral  people  that  they 
should  make  their  neighbors  good.  One  person  I  have  to 
make  good:  myself.  But  my  duty  to  my  neighbor  is  much 
more  nearly  expressed  by  saying  that  I  have  to  make  him 
happy — if  I  may." — Robert  Louis  Stevenson. 


PART  I 

THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  PLAY  AND  ITS  APPLICATION 


"Why  have  playgrounds?  Why?  Why  does  a  flower 
need  the  light?  The  child  needs  a  playground  because  his 
growth  is  through  activity,  through  those  specific  forms  of 
activity  which  his  nature  has  prescribed,  and  because,  accord- 
ingly, he  will  never  grow  up — or  he  will  grow  up  stunted  and 
perverted — if  he  is  denied  those  opportunities  and  objects  to 
which  his  vital,  instinctive  and  formative  activities  relate." 

"The  thing  that  most  needs  to  be  understood  about  play 
is  that  it  is  not  a  luxury  but  a  necessity.  It  is  not  simply 
something  that  a  child  likes  to  have:  it  is  something  that  he 
must  have  if  he  is  ever  to  grow  up.  It  is  more  than  an  essen- 
tial part  of  his  education;  it  is  an  essential  part  of  the  law  of 
his  growth,  of  the  process  by  which  he  becomes  a  man  at  all." 

— Joseph  Lee. 


HURDLE    It  ACE    IN    A    PHILADELPHIA    SCHOOL    PLAYGROUND 

CHAPTER  I 

Play,  Childhood  and   the   Playground,  their   Respective  Places 

By  Arthur  Leland 

A.     The  Meaning  of  Play  and  Childhood 

1.  The  Biological  Theory  of  Life.  The  idea  that  man  has  been 
evolved  in  countless  seons  of  time  through  variation,  unending  experimen- 
tation and  selection  on  the  part  of  nature  is  now  generallv  accepted  as  the 
true  theory  of  life.  To  many,  it  may  seem  irreverent  to  think  of  God  the 
Creator,  as  manifest  in  nature,  creating,  experimenting,  judging  and  pre- 
serving the  best  and  rejecting  the  inefficient  and  useless;  but  to  many  the 
developmental  theory  of  life  stands  for  the  very  essence  of  religion  and 
faith.  Is  this  not  Immanuel,  God  with  us !  Are  we  not  all  part  of  nature 
and  thus  partakers  in  the  evolution  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ? 

Biologists  tell  us  that  man  is  the  product  of  lower  forms  of  life,  each  of 
which  has  contributed  its  share  to  the  grand  total,  then  stagnated,  while 
man,  apparently  the  favored  one,  kept  going  on  and  on. 

We  are  also  told  that  each  individual  passes  through  all  the  essential 
stages  of  growth  which  have  preceded  it.  That  both  animals  and  man 
draw  upon  the  life  of  the  past,  that  they  are  created  in  the  light  of  the  accum- 
ulated experience  of  the  race.  That  in  order  to  attain  the  best  development 
in  the  higher  stages  of  life,  all  the  earlier  and  lower  reactions  and  experi- 
ences which  have  been  valuable  in  race  development  must  be  passed  through. 

2.  Instinct  and  Tradition.  These  experiences  and  reactions  have 
been  crystallized  in  instincts  and  traditions  for  the  benefit  of  future  »enera- 

19 


-20  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

tions.  Many  of  the  lower  forms  of  life  require  no  training  or  education, 
as  they  come  into  life  fully  equipped  by  instinct  for  all  their  struggles, 
but  they  never  progress. 

As  we  ascend  the  scale  of  creation,  we  find  life  becoming  incomplete 
at  birth,  requiring  the  care  of  a  parent  for  protection  and  feeding.  The 
higher  and  higher  we  rise,  the  more  complex  life  becomes  and  the  more 
helpless  we  find  the  infant,  until  we  reach  the  human  family,  whose  child 
is  the  most  helpless  of  all  and  the  least  fitted  by  instinct  to  care  for  itself. 
But  as  compensation,  the  divinity  of  motherhood  and  fatherhood  have 
been  created  to  care  for  and  train  this  helpless  waif,  until  after  spending 
one-third  of  its  life  in  preparation  for  its  duties,  it  is  prepared  to  carry  on 
alone  its  burden  of  the  other  two-thirds  and  help  in  the  ever  upward  ascent. 

3.  The  Meaning  of  Childhood.  The  meaning  of  this  is  apparent, 
the  more  complex  the  life,  the  longer  time  required  in  preparation.  Groos 
says  the  children  play  not  because  they  are  young  but  they  are  young  in 
order  that  they  may  play. 

Up  to  a  certain  point  young  animals  and  children  have  inherent 
impulses  for  self  education.  The  character  and  direction  these  impulses 
will  take  will  depend  upon  environment  and  training.  If  the  instincts  of 
the  child  are  to  be  directed  to  beneficent  results,  they  require  education. 
This  education  can  be  given  through  conscious  and  unconscious  imitation 
in  plav  of  the  things  which  the  child  sees  going  on  about  him.  We  see  in 
this  the  need  for  proper  environment,  for  the  child  becomes  what  he  is 
through  what  he  does,  and  he  imitates  what  he  sees.  Under  ideal  condi- 
tions,  it  might  not  be  necessary  to  have  specialized  play  instruction,  but 
where  will  we  find  ideal  conditions  ?  Certainly  not  in  the  crowded  city 
nor  in  the  country  village,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  the  beautiful  country  itself 
is  free  from  some  of  the  taint  which  hangs  about  the  places  before  mentioned. 

We  see  then  that  play  is  nature's  short  cut  to  experience;  that  it  is  the 
key  which  opens  to  the  child  the  store  house  in  which  is  treasured  the  ex- 
perience of  the  race. 

4.  The  Educational  Value  of  Instinct  and  Play.  Groos  says 
that  "play  is  activity  without  serious  intent"  and  that  "in  child's  play 
opportunity  is  given  through  the  exercise  of  inborn  dispositions  to  strengthen 
and  increase  his  inheritance  in  the  acquisition  of  adaptations  to  his  com- 
plicated environment;  an  achievement,  which  would  be  unattainable 
by  instinct  alone."  *  In  other  words,  through  play  guided  by  instinct, 
the  child  supplements  his  inheritance  with  a  possibility  of  constant  change 
in  adaptation  to  environment.  It  is  his  adaptability  which  differentiates 
man  from  the  lower  animals. 

Instinct,  however,  is  transitory.     Any  of  vou  who  were  raised  on  a 

*  www 

farm  will  know  that  if  the  calf  is  kept  away  from  the  cow  it  can  be  raised 
by  hand  and  will  never  know  what  it  is  to  obtain  nourishment  in  the  tradi- 

*"  Play  of  Man,"  page  2. 


PLAY,    CHILDHOOD    AND   THE    PLAYGROUND  21 

tional  manner.  Incubator  chickens  do  not  know  the  call  of  the  old  hen, 
if  they  are  kept  away  from  her  for  a  few  days;  so  it  is  with  most  instincts. 
James,  speaking  of  this  quality  of  instinct  says,  "in  all  pedagogy,  the  great 
thing  is  to  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot,  and  to  seize  the  wave  of  the  pupils' 
interest  in  each  successive  subject,  before  its  ebb  has  come,  so  that  knowl- 
edge may  be  got  and  a  habit  of  skill  acquired — a  headway  of  interest,  in 
short,  secured,  on  which  afterwards  the  individual  may  float.  There  is  a 
happy  time  for  fixing  skill  in  drawing,  for  making  boys  collectors  in  natural 
history  and  presently  dissectors  and  botanists."*  'The  natural  conclusion 
to  draw  from  this  transiency  of  instincts,"  says  James,  "is  that  most  in- 
stincts are  implanted  for  the  sake  of  giving  rise  to  habits,  and  that  this 
purpose  once  accomplished,  have  no  raison  d'etre  in  the  physical  economy 
and  consequently  fade  away." 

Childhood  and  youth  then  are  the  time  for  action;  all  the  habits  and 
reflexes  which  are  to  govern  in  later  life  must  be  formed  during  adolescence. 
The  alluring  call  of  instinct  to  play,  moreover,  must  be  heeded  and  obeyed 
at  the  proper  time  or  like  the  water  running  through  the  mill  dam,  which 
is  not  harnessed  to  the  wheel,  it  will  be  forever  lost.  Thus  we  see  the  plays 
of  childhood  have  a  definite  pedagogical  value,  for  through  these  plays, 
when  taken  advantage  of,  right  life  habits  of  physical,  mental  and  moral 
reaction  may  be  formed.  We  see  that  there  is  a  time  when  children  can 
learn  to  play  ball,  to  throw,  to  jump,  to  dance,  to  handle  tools  and  to  train 
their  imaginations.  The  infallible  guide  to  the  recognition  of  these  times 
is  the  children's  desire  and  interest,  when  they  are  given  free  choice.  There 
are  times  and  seasons  when  children  wish  to  play  and  must  engage  in  cer- 
tain games  and  occupations  in  order  to  secure  the  nervous  structure,  mental 
and  moral  training  which  these  pursuits  are  able  to  give,  or  they  will  be 
deficient  all  their  lives  in  so  far  as  these  qualities  have  been  necessary  to 
the  higher  development  of  the  race. 

Of  course  it  may  be  possible,  in  some  measure,  to  drive  in  some  of 
these  lessons  by  work  and  bitter  experience.  Possible  but  not  probable. 
Play  is  the  natural  and  easy  method  to  knowledge,  unhampered  by  the 
struggle  for  existence. 

The  experience  of  a  physical  director  of  our  acquaintance  illustrates 
this  point.  When  a  child  he  cut  the  cords  of  two  fingers  on  the  left  hand. 
This  left  a  large  tender  scar  just  where  the  baseball  is  caught.  It  was  im- 
possible to  catch  a  hard  ball  without  a  heavily  padded  glove,  which  was 
financially  impossible.  In  addition  to  this,  undiscovered  nearsightedness 
from  birth  made  it  impossible  to  judge  the  ball  in  catching.  So  not  wishing 
to  be  "guyed,"  baseball  was  a  closed  book.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  the 
visual  and  financial  difficulties  were  removed,  but  sensory  adaptations  and 
motor  reactions  required  for  judging  distances  and  catching  and  tin-owing 
could  not  be  learned.  The  time  was  past.  Even  after  years  of  trying  at 
school  and  elsewhere,  it  had  to  be  given  up  as  "a  bad  job." 


'  Education  by  Plays  and  Games,"  Johnson,  page  14;  and  James'  "  Psychology,"  Vol.  2,  page  400. 


22  l'l    \YGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

B.    The  Place  of  the  Playground 

1.  From  Play  TO  Work.  ^\  1 1 i  1**  play  is  spontaneous,  agreeable  and 
without  any  motive  other  than  the  enjoyment  it  brings,  we  see  that  it 
is  also  the  most  serious  business  of  childhood.  Children's  play  does  not 
pertain  so  largely  to  recreation  as  does  the  play  of  adults.  \"\"  1 1  *  - 1 1  children 
play  for  recreation,  they  call  it  "jus'  foolin'." 

It  is  this  seriousness  of  children's  play  which  gives  to  it  its  educative 
value,  for  so  surely  as  there  is  a  time  for  each  form  of  play.  I  here  is  a  time 
and  method  when  play  shades  off  into  work.  The  true  ideal  of  work  is 
when  it  becomes  art.  Art  often  gives  to  the  adult  the  stimulus  for  educa- 
tion and  advancement,  which  the  play  instinct  gives  to  the  child.  The 
child  who  has  passed  through  the  successive  stages  of  play,  which  his 
nature  demands,  will  take  up  work  in  the  spirit  of  play  when  the  proper 
time  comes.  Joseph  Lee  has  well  said,  "  the  boy  without  a  playground  is 
father  of  the  man  without  a  job,  and  the  boy  also  with  a  bad  playground 
is  the  father  of  the  man  doing  a  job  which  shouldn't  be  done." 

The  main  connecting  link  between  work  and  play  is  found  in  occupa- 
tions such  as  obtain  in  the  kindergarten  and  in  such  occupations  as  are 
directed  by  the  needs  of  the  play  instinct.  These  activities  suggest  to  chil- 
dren something  beyond  mere  play,  but  they  are  still  play,  and  the  manual 
training  given  on  the  playground  should  be  such  as  to  be  kept  always  near 
the  limits  of  play.  An  instance  of  a  first  class  method  of  playground 
manual  training  comes  from  Australia — an  account  of  an  old  woman's 
direction  of  the  occupation  of  young  girls:  :>The  old  woman  herself 
collected  the  material,  built  a  skin  hut  and  taught  each  of  the  little  ones 
with  great  care  to  make  small  ones  like  the  large  model.  She  showed 
them  where  to  get  the  gum  and  how  to  use  it;  she  sent  the  girls  to  get 
rushes  and  taught  them  how  to  weave  baskets  over  round  stones,"  etc.* 

This  is  the  type  of  constructive  play  which  is  and  always  will  be  applic- 
able to  the  playground. 

The  hobbies  of  adults  are  similar  to  the  play  constructive  activities 
of  children. 

2.  The  Playground  and  the  Play  Director.  For  the  children, 
the  office  of  the  playground  is  to  provide  the  means  for  the  exercise  of  the 
function  of  play,  and  the  place  of  the  play  director  is  to  know  the  require- 
ments of  the  child,  and  the  possibilities  of  play  and  to  guide  these  lessons  of 
play  so  that  the  right  form  at  the  right  time  may  be  available;  to  lead  the 
play  activities  of  the  child,  so  that  the  fullest  and  best  expressions  of  each 
stage  of  development  may  be  obtained;  to  continually  raise  the  standards 
of  the  present  stage  and  usher  the  child  into  new  possibilities  of  play  in 
accordance  with  the  laws  of  growth.  Thus  we  see  that  the  playground's 
duty  to  the  child  is  educational;  however,  as  the  play  element  in  teaching 
is  made  more  and  more  an  integral    part  of  the  school  curriculum,  the 


*Smith,  "The  Aborigines  of  Victoria,"  Vol.  I,  page  50,  cited  by  Groos'  "Play  of  Man,"  page  402. 


PLAY,    CHILDHOOD    AND    THE    PLAYGROUND  23 

office  of  the  playground  \vill  be  more  and  more  to  concern  itself  with  public 
recreation.  As  Mr.  DeGroot  savs,  "Chicago  suggests  that  our  very  inclu- 
sive term,  'public  playground,'  stands  primarily  not  for  swings  and  teeters, 
not  for  kindergarten  and  constructive  work,  not  for  gardening  and  nature 
study,  and  not  for  an  orthodox  educational  policy,  but  rather  for  public 
recreation — a  public  education  that  lias  at  one  end  the  play  of  children  ami 
at  the  otJicr  end  the  relaxation  of  young  mm,  young  women  and  adults." 

3.  The  Playground  and  the  School.  Whatever  the  educational 
end  which  the  playground  lias  to  serve,  its  educational  mission  must  be 
carried  on  through  the  recreative  end  of  play.  The  school  has  its  place, 
which  the  playground  cannot  and  should  not  attempt  to  usurp.  The  more 
of  play  and  recreation  which  can  be  enthused  into  school  work  without 
defeating  its  aim,  of  giving  a  prescribed  system  of  education  adapted  to  the 
needs  of  all  children,  the  better  for  our  system  of  public  schools.  The 
attempt,  however,  to  prescribe  a  system  of  educational  play  without  abso- 
lute freedom  for  the  child  to  choose  just  what  he  will  play  and  what  he  won't 
plav  is  entirely  foreign  to  our  conception  of  a  playground.  We  must  pre- 
scribe our  system  to  fit  the  child;  if  he  accepts,  it  may  be  the  right  system, 
it  may  not  be.  Children  might  enjoy  absolutely  injurious  and  immoral 
plays.  If,  however,  he  won't  take  our  system,  then  the  system  must  be 
modified  until  he  will  take  it. 

The  school  and  work,  however,  have  a  distinctive  value  in  the  educa- 
tion of  the  child,  for  at  school  one  should  learn  to  work  and  everything  in 
life  cannot  be  done  in  the  spirit  of  play.  Groos  says  "Among  primitive 
races,  where  the  life  work  is  for  the  most  part  guided  by  nature,  at  least  in 
the  case  of  males,  boys  may  get  sufficient  preparation  from  play  for  their 
later  life,  though  even  they  usually  have  some  instruction  at  the  outset, 
but  with  civilized  people,  usage  to  earnest,  persistent  effort,  that  is  not  de- 
pendent upon  caprice  or  impulse,  is  an  indispensable  condition  of  success 
in  the  struggle  for  life,  and  for  this  reason  school  life  should  promote  a  high 
sense  of  duty  as  opposed  to  mere  inclination." 

4.  Life.  The  standards  of  life  are  absolute  in  America.  A  man  is 
successful  or  unsuccessful.  He  succeeds  or  he  fails  in  whatever  he  under- 
takes, and  the  judgment  of  the  world  is  harsh.    We  worship  success. 

The  standard  of  team  games  on  the  playground  are  also  absolute. 
The  boy  makes  the  team  if  he  can  "deliver  the  goods."  In  a  hotly  con- 
tested ffarae  of  baseball  if  a  wild  throw  is  made,  if  inefficiency  is  shown  it 
is  not  pardoned  or  condoned.  "The  plea  that  little  Johnny  did  his  best 
don't  go  down  on  the  play  field."  In  this  the  playground  represents  life 
and  in  this  its  purpose  and  raison  d'etre  is  found.  In  the  school  if  little 
Johnny  fails  he  is  passed  up.  In  the  home  if  little  Johnny  doesn't  do  what  he 
ought  to  do  perhaps  a  little  moral  suasion  serves  the  purpose.  If  little 
Johnnv  fails  to  get  his  Sundav  school  lesson  or  be  a  good  bov  God  will 
forgive  him,  but  if  little  Johnny  cannot  catch  a  "pop  up"  or  is  afraid  to 


■24  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

tackle  a  "hot  liner"  with  bare  hands  his  peers  sit  in  judgment  and  the  jury 
of  equals  pronounce  the  verdict,  "Go  play  with  the  kids!"  "Give  him 
the  sack  off  the  team!" 

This  is  reality  and  if  we  can  enthuse  into  adult  work  the  seriousness 
which  is  found  in  such  play  as  this  then  it  would  be  quite  certain  that  the 
work  of  the  world  would  be  much  better  done. 

President  Lowell  in  an  article  "Competition  in  College"  suggests 
that  plav  might  be  defined  as  activity  which  has  as  its  end  training  for  future 
usefulness.  Such  a  definition  of  play  seems  to  us  to  more  fully  meet  the 
modern  idea  than  that  advanced  by  Groos.  It  leads  us  to  the  standpoint  that 
plav  and  education  are  the  same.  Oftentimes  the  "present  enjoyment" 
mav  be  prospective  only,  having  place  in  the  imagination.  The  drudg- 
erv  and  work  of  athletic  training  can  be  considered  play  only  in  this  sense. 
Play  of  this  character  is  on  the  border  land  of  work  and  prepares  for  it. 

The  professional  man,  the  artist,  the  skilled  artisan  following  a  calling 
which  is  pleasing  to  him  and  in  which  his  highest  ability  is  called  into  play 
can  pursue  his  work  in  this  spirit  especially  if  he  is  not  oppressed  by  the 
shall  and  must  of  working  for  the  necessities  of  life. 

5.  Recreation  and  Unskilled  Labor.  But  the  great  majority  of 
mankind  cannot  be  artists,  nor  professional  men,  nor  skilled  workers  at 
least  in  this  stage  of  economic  and  mechanical  development.  The  invention 
of  machinery  doing  away  with  exertions  of  physical  strength  in  performing 
work  is  a  step  in  this  direction  or  a  step  in  a  process  which  tends  to  eliminate 
work  and  the  hard  struggle  for  existence.  Instead  of  machinery  being  a 
curse  to  laboring  man  it  is  in  reality  a  blessing  for  it  enables  him  to  do 
more  work  with  the  same  expenditure  of  energy  than  was  ever  possible  with 
hand  made  implements.  And  even  though  the  running  of  a  machine  is 
drudgerv  and  does  not  call  into  play  the  latent  capabilities  of  a  man's  talent 
nor  give  exercise  to  his  imagination,  it  can  and  will  make  all  life  easier  when 
the  proper  adjustments  between  capital  and  labor  are  made.  This  work, 
however,  must  be  supplemented  by  an  amount  of  recreation  which  will 
add  to  the  worker's  life  the  elements  which  machine  labor  does  not  inspire 
or  instill  and  which  have  been  valuable  in  the  development  of  the  race. 
A  system  of  recreation  must  supply  these  needs.  As  work,  back-breaking 
work,  is  diminished,  play  must  be  increased,  for  the  adult  as  well  as  the 
child.  The  tendencies  and  directions  which  adult  recreation  will  take  can 
be  determined  by  the  play  interests  which  are  formed  in  childhood.  The 
elements  of  play  can  be  enthused  into  work  oftentimes  by  means  of  com- 
petition. When  we  were  boys,  we  all  know  how  much  easier  it  was  to  pick 
up  rocks,  or  to  hoe  to  the  end  of  the  row,  if  another  boy  was  alongside  try- 
ing to  see  who  could  get  there  first.  We  all  remember  how  Tom  Sawyer 
got  his  fence  whitewashed.  The  same  thing  is  true  when  the  men  in  the 
shop  try  to  see  who  can  varnish  the  most  boxes  in  a  day,  or  see  who  can 
run  the  greatest  number  of  spindles  through  a  machine.  Piece  work  of 
course  is  the  only  kind  of  work  to  which  this  principle  can  be  applied. 


play,  childhood  and  the  playground  25 

6.  Why  Recreation  Should  be  Provided  at  Public  Expense.* 
Public  recreation  should  be  provided  first  for  economic  reasons,  for  the 
same  reasons  which  make  us  provide  public  schools,  public  streets,  public 
sewers,  etc.;  second  for  sociological  reasons.  If  recreation  is  not  provided 
by  the  public  for  the  public,  it  will  be  provided  by  private  interests  for 
personal,  commercial  and  selfish  ends. 

Our  cities  have  been  built  with  an  absolute  disregard  for  the  child. 
The  beauties  of  nature,  and  that  close  association  with  mother  earth, 
which  is  so  valuable  to  healthful  childish  growth,  has  been  left  out.  There 
is  no  space  or  incentive  for  physical  exercise.  The  city  lacks  trees  for  the 
children  to  climb,  sand  banks  for  them  to  jump  from,  water  for  wading 
and  swimming.  There  are  no  wood  piles  to  saw,  no  animals  to  take  care 
of,  to  train  or  domesticate,  no  chores  to  do,  no  regular  duties  which  must 
be  performed  and  no  responsibilities  which  lead  to  growth.  There  are  no 
work  shops  with  tools  lying  around  handy,  with  which  the  children  can  cut 
their  fingers,  and  make  bird  houses,  sleds,  bows  and  arrows,  wind-mills, 
water-wheels.  The  parents  work  in  shops  where  the  children  are  not  al- 
lowed to  go.  "No  admittance"  signs  appear  wherever  the  child  could 
learn  anything  useful;  "Keep  off  the  grass"  signs  on  every  green  spot. 
With  no  chance  for  imitation  to  exercise  itself  in  legitimate  wavs,  the  child 
naturallv  imitates  things  which  he  should  not.  As  the  children  of  the  citv 
grow  to  young  manhood  and  young  womanhood,  their  amusements  are 
commercialized  with  sad  results.  Society  to  protect  and  preserve  itself 
must  provide  healthful  play  and  recreation  which  the  city  has  crowded  out. 

The  countrv  lacks  manv  things  also.  The  training  of  the  farm  has 
produced  a  type  of  individualistic  ability,  which  has  accomplished  much. 
It  does  not,  however,  develop  cooperation,  or  the  ability  to  work  together 
with  other  individuals.  The  "social  unrest,"  the  differences  between 
capital  and  labor,  and  by  far  most  of  the  ills  caused  by  city  life  are  due  to  this 
individualistic  attitude  of  the  leaders  and  capitalists  which  countrv  life 
has  developed. 

The  beginning  of  a  new  era  is  at  hand,  an  era  of  competition  for 
cooperation.  The  leaders  will  now  come  from  the  city  rather  than  from 
the  countrv;  in  fact  the  regeneration  of  the  countrv  must  come  from  the 
city,  for  the  best  blood  of  the  countrv  has  built  up  the  city.  The  unfavor- 
able conditions  of  countrv  life  have  been  discussed  at  length  recentlv,  and 
are  so  serious  that  President  Roosevelt  appointed  a  Countrv  Life  Commis- 
sion to  investigate.  Through  the  play  of  children  the  unfavorable  condi- 
tions of  both  citv  and  countrv  life  mav  be  remedied  most  easily.  It  will 
be  extremely  difficult  to  change  the  settled  ways  of  the  population  in  our 
small  villages  and  countrv  towns  in  anv  other  way.  When  we  can  bring 
more  of  the  country  to  the  city  and  more  of  the  city  to  the  country,  the  life 
in  both  places  will  be  greatly  improved. 


*See  Chapter  IV. 


CHAPTER  II 

Theories  of  Play* 

1.  The  Surplus  Energy  Theory.  In  order  to  explain  the  phe- 
nomena of  play,  various  theories  have  been  advanced;  the  first  of  these 
propounded  by  Spencer  is  that  man  and  animals  are  endowed  with  more 
energy  than  is  required  in  the  simple  for  existence.  This  allows  some  of 
their  powers  periods  of  rest,  wdiile  others  are  being  exercised,  and  they 
work  off  I  heir  surplus  energy  by  means  of  play.  This  theory  explains  some 
of  the  conditions  of  play,  but  play  is  sometimes  engaged  in  by  creatures 
when  they  are  so  tired  as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  there  being  much 
surplus  energy  stored  up.    It  does  not  explain  the  recreation  of  adults. 

2.  The  Recreation  Theory.  Another  theory  advanced  is  that 
play  is  exercised  Avhen  the  body  is  tired,  for  the  purpose  of  recreation. 
This  theory  has  its  most  scientific  champion  in  Lazarus.  Simply  stated, 
it  is  that  when  we  are  tired  of  mental  or  physical  labor  and  do  not  wish 
to  sleep  or  rest,  play  furnishes  welcome  and  active  recreation.  The  change 
from  one  form  of  activity  to  another  rests  the  powers  which  have  been 
exercised.  This  theory  does  not  explain  the  fact  that  after  play  is  started, 
repetition  causes  its  continuation  long  after  the  period  of  rest.  Children 
will  absolutely  lose  themselves  in  present  enjoyment,  when  they  strike  the 
right  combination.  They  sometimes  keep  up  until  exhausted.  Baldwin 
has  emphasized  this  point.  These  theories  of  play  explain  some  of  the 
phenomena  but  do  not  explain  everything. 

3.  The  Biological  Theory.  Darwin  contends  that  play  is  biologi- 
cal; that  our  ancestors  spent  their  time  fighting,  experimenting,  hunting,  or- 
ganizing, etc.,  and  accordingly  in  us  the  impulses  to  fighting,  chasing,  social 
and  other  plays  are  clearly  shown.  Darwin's  theory  of  natural  selection  has 
been  disputed,  authorities  differing  in  regard  to  whether  acquired  character- 
istics are  inherited  or  not.  Baldwin  has  amended  the  biological  theory 
by  what  is  called  "organic  selection"  and  Weismann  by  his  germinal 
selection  theory.  According  to  the  former,  the  inheritance  of  acquired 
accommodations  is  unnecessary,  their  object  being  sufficiently  accomplished, 
if  they  keep  the  creature  afloat  in  their  environment  until  natural  selection 
has  had  time  to  build  up  hereditary  adaptations.  Weismann  transfers 
selection  into  a  struggle  of  germ  substance  (the  determinants)  which  repre- 
sent the  respective  parts  of  the  future  individual.  Each  "determinant" 
struggles  for  sustenance  against  its  neighbor,  so  producing  a  sort  of  germ- 
inal selection,  the  stronger  elements  developing  at  the  expense  of  the 
weaker  and  the  force  so  acquired  being  transmitted  to  the  offspring,  with 
a  favorable  footing  in  the  struggle  for  life  which  insures  further  progress 
in  the  same  direction. 

♦Abstract  of  last  part  of  Groos'  "Play  of  Man,"  pages  361-406. 

26 


THEORIES    OF   PLAY  27 

4.  The  Psychological  Standpoint.  The  psychological  explana- 
tion of  play  advanced  by  Wundt  is  that  an  animal  can  play  only  when  cer- 
tain memories  which  are  accompanied  by  pleasurable  feelings  are  renewed, 
yet  under  aspects  so  transformed  that  all  painful  effects  vanish  and  only 
agreeable  ones  remain;  thus  when  a  young  dog  seizes  a  piece  of  cloth, 
shaking  it  violently  in  its  teeth,  such  play  exhibits  the  playful  activity  of 
former  generations.  The  standpoint  seems  to  explain  the  attraction  to 
children  of  playing  in  the  water,  and  for  many,  fighting,  hunting  and  dra- 
matic plays.  The  pleasures  of  play  when  analyzed  from  the  psychological 
standpoint  seem  to  be  brought  about  through  the  exercise  of  attention, 
the  demand  for  a  sufficient  cause  and  imagination.  The  first  of  these 
items  seems  to  be  present  with  us  from  infancy. 

The  desire  to  be  an  efficient  cause  has  both  a  motor  and  a  theoretic 
form;  we  demand  a  knowledge  of  experimental  effects,  and  we  desire  our- 
selves to  be  producers  of  effects,  and  through  reproducing,  the  original 
idea  is  perfected. 

In  many  games,  there  is  a  veritable  playing  of  a  role,  for  example 
when  children  represent  different  animals.  It  is  quite  probable  that  in 
this  play  they  feel  many  of  the  emotions  which  obtained  in  the  animals 
which  they  represent.  When  children  play  being  chased  by  a  bear,  they, 
for  the  time  being,  seem  to  feel  much  of  the  fear  which  the  aboriginal  man 
might  have  felt.  Much  of  the  pleasure  of  golf  can  be  explained  in  this  way, 
for  when  looked  at  logically,  what  pleasure  can  be  obtained  from  knocking 
a  little  ball  over  a  ten  acre  lot  and  then  chasing  it  up  and  knocking  it  into  a 
little  hole! 

5.  The  ^Esthetic  Standpoint.  There  is  also  an  aesthetic  value 
to  play,  which  is  especially  prominent  in  the  development  of  music,  poetry 
and  art.  The  first  thing  with  which  it  is  concerned  is  in  the  transference 
of  thought  from  a  copy  to  an  original.  The  children's  artistic  efforts,  their 
imitations  of  singing,  drawing,  etc.,  are  essentially  playful.  The  primitive 
festival,  combining  as  it  did  music  and  poetry  with  dancing,  had  a  tre- 
mendous effect  upon  its  witnesses  and  was  in  its  manifestations  essentially 
playful.  AVhen  this  aesthetic  development  of  play  is  pursued  to  produce  a 
pleasurable  effect  on  others  rather  than  as  an  end  in  itself,  it  becomes  art. 

G.  Sociological  Value.  Play  has  a  sociological  value.  The  union 
of  early  tribes  for  their  dances  and  feasts  made  it  possible  for  them  to  work 
together  for  serious  purposes  and  the  best  way  now  to  secure  cooperation 
seems  to  be  through  community  of  interest  in  plays  and  recreation. 

7.  Pedagogical  Value.  The  pedagogical  standpoint  of  play,  we 
have  already  dwelt  upon.  Groos  says  in  completing  his  treatise  on  play, 
"■finally  it  should  be  emphasized  that  the  beautiful  task  of  play,  the  develop- 
ment of  the  individual  to  full  manhood  or  womanhood  by  means  of  an 
all-round  exercise  of  his  or  her  capabilities  is  retarded  by  restriction  to  one 
particular  form  of  play." 

A  complete  explanation  of  play  no  doubt  will  be  found  in  a  combina- 
tion of  all  of  these  theories  and  others  which  have  not  vet  been  discovered. 


CHAPTER  III 

The  Contribution  of  the   North  American   Indian  to  the  Play- 
ground Movement 

Some  one  has  said  "a  child's  brain  is  like  a  flower,  that  blossoms  in 
perceptions  and  goes  to  seed  in  abstractions.  Correct  concepts  are  the 
raw  material  of  reason.  Every  desk  in  your  school  is  an  intellectual  loom, 
which  is  expected  to  weave  a  sound  fabric  out  of  rotten  raw  material." 

The  life  of  the  savage  depended  upon  his  correct  interpretation  of 
natural  phenomena,  consequently  the  children  were  taught  to  see,  to  ob- 
serve, and  to  interpret  nature  about  them. 

When  man  became  civilized,  many  things  were  lost.  Chief  among 
these  seems  to  be  the  ability  to  properly  educate  and  interpret  childhood. 
Living  as  civilized  people  do,  less  by  instinct  than  do  the  less  highly  civilized 
races,  our  reasons  have  been  running  away  with  our  instincts. 

One  of  the  primary  instincts  is  the  proper  care  and  training  of  chil- 
dren. It  is  our  opinion  that  the  average  boy  belonging  to  the  Sioux  Indian 
tribe  was  better  educated  to  fit  the  conditions  with  which  he  had  to  cope 
than  is  the  average  product  of  our  present  much  boasted  civilization.  In 
the  race  after  the  material  things  of  civilization  we  have  forgotten  some  of 
the  essentials. 

As  a  nation  we  are  self-indulgent  and  we  raise  our  children  too  tenderly 
and  indulgently.  This  nation  was  not  founded  on  "soft  snaps"  or  "easy 
jobs."    Well-regulated  hardship  is  a  splendid  character  builder. 

Furthermore,  our  children  are  not  taught  to  learn  facts  by  observation 
during  childhood;  consequently,  they  enter  adult  life  unprepared.  It  is  just 
as  important  for  the  city  child  to  read  the  signs  of  the  times  and  learn  to  take 
care  of  himself  under  present  conditions,  as  it  was  for  the  Indian  to  read 
the  signs  of  the  forest.  Observation  and  interpretation  of  natural  phe- 
nomena seems  to  be  the  first  step  in  the  education  of  correct  reasoning. 

Dr.  Charles  A.  Eastman  (Ohiyesa)  has  kindly  permitted  us  to  use  some 
chapters  from  "Indian  Boyhood,"  which  we  think  apply  in  full  measure 
to  the  present  educational  dilemma.  There  are  many  things  about  man- 
hood which  the  Indian  can  teach  our  boys  and  our  men,  and  many  of  the 
things  may  apply  to  the  girls  as  well. 


28 


the  north  american  indian  and  the  playground  29 

An  Indian  Boy's  Training 
By  Chas.  A.  Eastman,  M.D.  (Ohiyesa) 
Selections  Reprinted  from  "Indian  Boyhood,"  by  Permission.* 

It  is  commonly  supposed  that  there  is  no  systematic  education  of  their 
children  among  the  aborigines  of  this  country.  Nothing  could  be  farther 
from  the  truth.  All  the  customs  of  this  primitive  people  were  held  to  be 
divinely  instituted,  and  those  in  connection  with  the  training  of  children 
were  scrupulously  adhered  to  and  transmitted  from  one  generation  to  an- 
other. 

The  expectant  parents  conjointly  bent  all  their  efforts  to  the  task  of 
giving  the  newcomer  the  best  thev  could  gather  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors. 
A  pregnant  Indian  woman  would  often  choose  one  of  the  greatest  charac- 
ters of  her  family  and  tribe  as  a  model  for  her  child.  This  hero  was  daily 
called  to  mind.  She  would  gather  from  tradition  all  of  his  noted  deeds  and 
daring  exploits,  rehearsing  them  to  herself  when  alone.  In  order  that  the 
impression  might  be  more  distinct,  she  avoided  company.  She  isolated 
herself  as  much  as  possible,  and  wandered  in  solitude,  not  thoughtlessly, 
but  with  an  eye  to  the  impress  given  by  grand  and  beautiful  scenery. 

The  Indians  believed,  also,  that  certain  kinds  of  animals  would  confer 
peculiar  gifts  upon  the  unborn,  while  others  would  leave  so  strong  an  ad- 
verse impression  that  the  child  might  become  a  monstrosity.  A  case  of 
hare-lip  was  commonly  attributed  to  the  rabbit.  It  was  said  that  a  rabbit 
had  charmed  the  mother  and  given  to  the  babe  its  own  features.  Even  the 
meat  of  certain  animals  was  denied  the  pregnant  woman,  because  it  was 
supposed  to  influence  the  disposition  or  features  of  the  child. 

Scarcely  was  the  embryo  warrior  ushered  into  the  world,  when  he  was 
met  by  lullabies  that  speak  of  wonderful  exploits  in  hunting  and  war. 
Those  ideas  which  so  fully  occupied  his  mother's  mind  before  his  birth  are 
now  put  into  words  by  all  about  the  child,  who  is  as  yet  quite  unresponsive 
to  their  appeals  to  his  honor  and  ambition.  He  is  called  the  future  defender 
of  his  people,  whose  lives  may  depend  upon  his  courage  and  skill.  If  the 
child  is  a  girl,  she  is  at  once  addressed  as  the  future  mother  of  a  noble  race. 

In  hunting  songs,  the  leading  animals  are  introduced:  thev  come  to 
the  boy  to  offer  their  bodies  for  the  sustenance  of  his  tribe.  The  animals 
are  regarded  as  his  friends,  and  spoken  of  almost  as  tribes  of  people,  or  as 
his  cousins,  grandfathers  and  grandmothers.  The  songs  of  wooing,  adapted 
as  lullabies,  were  equally  imaginative,  and  the  suitors  were  often  animals 
personified,  while  pretty  maidens  were  represented  by  the  mink  and  the 
doe. 


♦Copyrighted  by  Doubleday  Page.    Reprinted  by  permission. 


80  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE   AND    PLAYCRAFT 

Very  early,  the  Indian  boy  assumed  the  task  of  preserving  and  trans- 
mit ling  the  legends  of  his  ancestors  and  his  race.  Almost  every  evening 
a  myth,  or  a  true  story  of  some  deed  done  in  the  past,  was  narrated  by  one 
of  the  parents  or  grandparents,  while  the  boy  listened  with  parted  lips  and 
glistening  eyes.  On  the  following  evening,  he  was  usually  required  to  re- 
peat it.  If  he  was  not  an  apt  scholar,  he  struggled  long  with  his  task;  but, 
;i^  a  rule,  the  Indian  bov  is  a  good  listener  and  has  a  good  memory,  so  that 
the  stories  were  tolerably  well  mastered.  The  household  became  his  audi- 
ence, by  which  he  was  alternately  criticized  and  applauded. 

This  sort  of  teaching  at  once  enlightens  the  boy's  mind  and  stimulates 
his  ambition.  His  conception  of  his  own  future  career  becomes  a  vivid  and 
irresistible  force.  Whatever  there  is  for  him  to  learn  must  be  learned ;  what- 
ever qualifications  are  necessary  to  a  truly  great  man  he  must  seek  at  any 
expense  of  danger  and  hardship.  Such  was  the  feeling  of  the  imaginative 
and  brave  young  Indian.  It  became  apparent  to  him  in  early  life  that  he 
must  accustom  himself  to  rove  alone  and  not  to  fear  or  dislike  the  impres- 
sion of  solitude. 

It  seems  to  be  a  popular  idea  that  all  the  characteristic  skill  of  the 
Indian  is  instinctive  and  hereditary.  This  is  a  mistake.  All  the  stoicism 
and  patience  of  the  Indian  are  acquired  traits,  and  continual  practice  alone 
makes  him  master  of  the  art  of  woodcraft.  Physical  training  and  dieting 
were  not  neglected.  I  remember  that  I  was  not  allowed  to  have  beef  soup 
or  any  warm  drink.  The  soup  was  for  the  old  men.  General  rules  for  the 
young  were  never  to  take  their  food  very  hot  nor  to  drink  much  water. 

My  uncle,  who  educated  me  up  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  was  a  strict 
disciplinarian  and  a  good  teacher.  When  I  left  the  teepee  in  the  morning 
he  would  say:  "Hakadah,  look  closely  to  everything  you  see;"  and  at 
evening,  on  my  return,  he  used  often  to  catechize  me  for  an  hour  or  so. 

"  On  which  side  of  the  trees  is  the  lighter-colored  bark  ?  On  which 
side  do  they  have  most  regular  branches  ?" 

It  was  his  custom  to  let  me  name  all  the  new  birds  that  I  had  seen  dur- 
ing the  day.  I  would  name  them  according  to  the  color  or  the  shape  of 
the  bill,  or  their  song,,  or  the  appearance  and  locality  of  the  nest- — in  fact 
anything  about  the  bird  that  impressed  me  as  characteristic.  I  made 
many  ridiculous  errors,  I  must  admit.  He  then  usually  informed  me  of 
the  correct  name.  Occasionally  I  made  a  hit  and  this  he  would  warmly 
commend. 

He  went  much  deeper  into  this  science  when  I  was  a  little  older,  that 
is,  about  the  age  of  eight  or  nine  years.    He  would  say,  for  instance: 

"  How  do  you  know  that  there  are  fish  in  yonder  lake  ? " 

"  Because  they  jump  out  of  the  water  for  flies  at  midday." 

He  would  smile  at  my  prompt  but  superficial  reply. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  little  pebbles  grouped  together  under  the 
shallow  water,  and  what    made    the  pretty  curved   marks  in  the  sandy 


THE   NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIAN   AND   THE   PLAYGROUND  31 

bottom  and  the  little  sand-banks  ?  Where  do  you  find  the  fish-eating  birds  ? 
Have  the  inlet  and  the  outlet  of  a  lake  anything  to  do  with  the  question  ?" 

He  did  not  expect  a  correct  reply  at  once  to  all  the  voluminous  ques- 
tions that  he  put  to  me  on  these  occasions,  but  he  meant  to  make  me  observ- 
ant and  a  good  student  of  nature. 

"Hakadah,"  he  would  say  to  me,  "you  ought  to  follow  the  example  of 
the  shunktokecha  (wolf) .  Even  when  he  is  surprised  and  runs  for  his  life, 
he  will  pause  to  take  one  more  look  at  you  before  he  enters  his  final  retreat. 
So  you  must  take  a  second  look  at  everything  you  see. 

"It  is  better  to  view  animals  unobserved.  I  have  been  a  witness  to 
their  courtships  and  their  quarrels  and  have  learned  many  of  their  secrets 
in  this  way.  I  was  once  the  unseen  spectator  of  a  thrilling  battle  between 
a  pair  of  grizzly  bears  and  three  buffaloes — a  rash  act  for  the  bears,  for  it 
was  in  the  moon  of  strawberries,  when  the  buffaloes  sharpen  and  polish 
their  horns  for  bloody  contests  among  themselves. 

"I  advise  you,  my  boy,  never  to  approach  a  grizzly's  den  from  the 
front  but  to  steal  up  behind  and  throw  your  blanket  or  a  stone  in  front  of 
the  hole  for  he  does  not  usually  rush  for  it,  but  first  puts  his  head  out  and 
listens  and  then  comes  out  very  indifferently  and  sits  on  his  haunches  on 
the  mound  in  front  of  the  hole  before  he  makes  anv  attack.  While  he  is 
exposing  himself  in  this  fashion  aim  at  his  heart.  Always  be  as  cool  as 
the  animal  himself."  Thus  he  armed  me  against  the  cunning  of  savage 
beasts  bv  teaching  me  how  to  outwit  them. 

"  In  hunting,"  he  would  resume,  "  you  will  be  guided  by  the  habits  of 
the  animal  you  seek.  Remember  that  a  moose  stays  in  swampy  or  low 
land  or  between  high  mountains  near  a  spring  or  lake,  from  thirty  to  sixty 
days  at  a  time.  Most  large  game  moves  about  continually,  except  the  doe 
in  the  spring;  it  is  then  a  very  easy  matter  to  find  her  with  the  fawn.  Con- 
ceal yourself  in  a  convenient  place  as  soon  as  you  observe  any  signs  of  the 
presence  of  either,  and  then  call  with  your  birchen  doe-caller. 

"  Whichever  one  hears  you  first  will  soon  appear  in  your  neighborhood. 
But  vou  must  be  watchful  or  vou  may  be  made  a  fawn  of  bv  a  large  wild- 
cat.    They  understand  the  characteristic  call  of  the  doe  perfectly  well. 

"When  you  have  any  difficulty  with  a  bear  or  a  wild-cat — that  is,  if 
the  creature  shows  signs  of  attacking  you — you  must  make  him  fully  under- 
stand that  you  have  seen  him  and  are  aware  of  his  intentions.  If  you  are 
not  well  equipped  for  a  pitched  battle,  the  only  way  to  make  him  retreat 
is  to  take  a  long  sharp-pointed  pole  for  a  spear  and  rush  toward  him.  No 
wild  beast  will  face  this  unless  he  is  cornered  and  already  wounded.  These 
fierce  beasts  are  generally  afraid  of  the  common  weapon  of  the  larger 
animals — the  horns,  and  if  these  are  very  long  and  sharp,  they  dare  not  risk 
an  open  fight. 

"  There  is  one  exception  to  this  rule — the  grey  wolf  will  attack  fiercely 
when  very  hungry.  But  their  courage  depends  upon  their  numbers;  in 
this  they  are  like  white  men.     One  wolf  or  two  will  never  attack  a  man. 


:?-2  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

They  will  stampede  a  herd  of  buffaloes  in  order  to  get  at  the  calves;  they 
will  rush  upon  a  herd  of  antelopes,  for  these  are  helpless;  but  they  are 
always  careful  about  attacking  man." 

Of  this  nature  were  the  instructions  of  my  uncle,  who  was  widely 
known  at  that  time  as  among  the  greatest  hunters  of  his  tribe. 

All  boys  were  expected  to  endure  hardship  without  complaint.  In 
savage  warfare,  a  young  man  must,  of  course,  be  an  athlete  and  used  to 
undergoing  all  sorts  of  privations.  He  must  be  able  to  go  without  food 
and  water  for  two  or  three  days  without  displaying  any  weakness,  or  to 
run  for  a  day  and  night  without  any  rest.  He  must  be  able  to  traverse  a 
t  pathless  and  wild  country  without  losing  his  way  either  in  the  day  or  night 
time.    He  cannot  refuse  to  do  any  of  these  things  if  he  aspires  to  be  a  warrior. 

Sometimes  my  uncle  would  waken  me  very  early  in  the  morning  and 
challenge  me  to  fast  with  him  all  day.  I  had  to  accept  the  challenge.  AVe 
blackened  our  faces  with  charcoal,  so  that  every  boy  in  the  village  would 
know  that  I  was  fasting  for  the  day.  Then  the  little  tempters  would  make 
mv  life  a  miserv  until  the  merciful  sun  hid  behind  the  western  hills. 

I  can  scarcely  recall  the  time  when  my  stern  teacher  began  to  give 
sudden  war-whoops  over  my  head  in  the  morning  while  I  was  sound  asleep. 
He  expected  me  to  leap  up  with  perfect  presence  of  mind,  always  ready  to 
grasp  a  weapon  of  some  sort  and  to  give  a  shrill  whoop  in  reply.  If  I  was 
sleepy  or  startled  and  hardly  knew  what  I  was  about,  he  would  ridicule 
me  and  say  that  I  need  never  expect  to  sell  my  scalp  dear.  Often  he  would 
vary  these  tactics  by  shooting  off  his  gun  just  outside  of  the  lodge  while 
I  was  yet  asleep,  at  the  same  time  giving  blood-curdling  yells.  After  a 
time  I  became  used  to  this. 

When  Indians  went  upon  the  war-path,  it  was  their  custom  to  try  the 
new  warriors  thoroughly  before  coming;  to  an  engagement.  For  instance, 
when  they  were  near  a  hostile  camp,  they  would  select  the  novices  to  go 
after  the  water  and  make  them  do  all  sorts  of  things  to  prove  their  courage. 
In  accordance  with  this  idea,  my  uncle  used  to  send  me  off  after  water 
when  we  camped  after  dark  in  a  strange  place.  Perhaps  the  country  was 
full  of  wild  beasts,  and,  for  aught  I  knew,  there  might  be  scouts  from  hos- 
tile bands  of  Indians  lurking  in  that  verv  neighborhood. 

Yet  I  never  objected,  for  that  would  show  cowardice.  I  picked  my 
way  through  the  woods,  dipped  my  pail  in  the  water  and  hurried  back, 
always  careful  to  make  as  little  noise  as  a  cat.  Being  only  a  boy,  my  heart 
would  leap  at  every  crackling  of  a  dry  twig  or  distant  hooting  of  an  owl, 
until,  at  last,  I  reached  our  teepee.  Then  my  uncle  would  perhaps  say: 
"Ah,  Hakadah,  you  are  a  thorough  warrior,"  empty  out  the  precious 
contents  of  the  pail,  and  order  me  to  go  a  second  time. 

Imagine  how  I  felt.  But  I  wished  to  be  a  brave  man  as  much  as  a 
white  bov  desires  to  be  a  great  lawver  or  even  President  of  the  United 
States.  Silently  I  would  take  the  pail  and  endeavor  to  retrace  my  foot- 
steps in  the  dark. 


THE   NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIAN    AND   THE    PLAYGROUND  33 

With  all  this,  our  manners  and  morals  were  not  neglected.  I  was  made 
to  respect  the  adults  and  especially  the  aged.  I  was  not  allowed  to  join  in 
their  discussions,  nor  even  to  speak  in  their  presence,  unless  requested  to 
do  so.  Indian  etiquette  was  very  strict,  and  among  the  requirements  was 
that  of  avoiding  the  direct  address.  A  term  of  relationship  or  some  title 
of  courtesy  was  commonly  used  instead  of  the  personal  name  by  those 
who  wished  to  show  respect.  We  were  taught  generosity  to  the  poor  and 
reverence  for  the  "Great  Mystery."  Religion  was  the  basis  of  all  Indian 
training. 

I  recall  to  the  present  day  some  of  the  kind  warnings  and  reproofs  that 
my  good  grandmother  was  wont  to  give  me.  "Be  strong  of  heart  be 
patient,"  she  used  to  say.  She  told  me  of  a  young  chief  who  was  noted 
for  his  uncontrollable  temper.  While  in  one  of  his  rages  he  attempted  to 
kill  a  woman,  for  which  he  was  slain  by  his  own  band  and  left  unburied 
as  a  mark  of  disgrace— his  body  was  simply  covered  with  green  grass.  If 
I  ever  lost  my  temper,  she  would  say : 

"  Hakadah,  control  yourself,  or  you  will  be  like  that  young  man  I  told 
you  of,  and  lie  under  a  Green  Blanket." 

In  the  old  days,  no  young  man  was  allowed  to  use  tobacco  in  any 
form  until  he  had  become  an  acknowledged  warrior  and  had  achieved  a 
record.  If  a  youth  should  seek  a  wife  before  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-two  or  twenty-three,  and  been  recognized  as  a  brave  man,  he  was 
sneered  at  and  considered  an  ill-bred  Indian.  He  must  also  be  a  skilful 
hunter.  An  Indian  cannot  be  a  good  husband  unless  he  brings  home 
plenty  of  game. 

These  precepts  were  in  the  line  of  our  training  for  the  wild  life. 


"Men  grow  old  because  they  stop  playing,  and  not  con- 
versely, for  play  is,  at  bottom,  growth." 

"The  sentiments  on  which  the  highest  religion  rests  are 
best  trained  in  children  on  the  noblest  objects  of  nature." 

— G.  Stanley  Hall. 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  Playground  as  a  Phase  of  Social  Reform 
A.     "The  City  Boy" 

We  wish  to  introduce  to  you  a  strange  creature.  It  resists  classification 
and  analysis.  It  has  a  tousled  mat  of  indifferent  colored  hair  surmounting 
a  defiant  freckled  face.  Water  it  abhors  except  in  ponds  full.  When  it 
comes  in  the  house,  chairs  and  bric-a-brac  fall  over,  the  limbs  are  too  long 
for  the  body  and  the  clothes  are  too  short  for  the  limbs.  If  it  tries  to  talk 
the  voice  sometimes  goes  up  and  sometimes  goes  down.  Taken  all  together 
it  is  not  ornamental  or  particularly  useful.  The  abode  of  civilization  is  no 
place  for  it.  Its  habitation  is  the  woods  and  fields;  its  natural  occupation 
hunting,  fishing  and  fighting.  It  imagines  itself  an  Indian  and  belongs  to  a 
tribe  who  go  on  plundering  expeditions  against  its  enemies.  It  wants  to  be 
a  cowboy  or  a  hunter  and  kill  bears.  A  year  ago  this  wild  animal  was  a 
well-behaved,  studious  boy,  a  model  in  the  school  and  the  home;  now  we 
don't  know  what  to  call  him.  All  the  emotions  of  manhood  are  stirring 
and  budding  within  the  veins  of  this  irresponsible  boy.  Before,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  family  thinking  what  they  thought  was  law;  now  he  must 
find  out  for  himself. 

Nature  at  certain  periods  wishes  her  processes  to  operate  free  from 
outside  interference.  So  at  this  time  she  puts  up  a  fence  and  says  to  the 
parents,  "hands  off,  you  have  had  your  time;  the  boy  wTill  not  forget  all 
the  home  teachings;  now  he  is  mine  and  I  shall  add  certain  stern,  barbaric 
virtues  of  truth,  devotion,  strength,  patriotism,  loyalty  and  self-sacrifice 
which  can  be  attained  only  by  my  method."  If  we  were  all  living  according 
to  natural  conditions  we  need  take  no  further  trouble  about  the  boy,  but 
while  nature  furnishes  the  instinct  we  take  the  boy  out  of  his  natural  en- 
vironment. Nothing  is  more  pathetic  than  the  lot  of  the  city  boy.  He  lives 
in  a  flat  or  tenement.  He  can't  play  in  the  house,  and  probably  wouldn't 
if  he  could.  There  is  no  yard.  If  he  plays  ball  in  the  streets,  he  is  promptly 
arrested.  Whenever  he  finds  a  vacant  lot  and  fixes  up  a  baseball  diamond 
or  a  skating  rink,  in  a  few  months  a  building  goes  up.  All  the  while  these 
instincts  are  surging  within  him  demanding  expression.  No  wonder  he 
turns  and  demands  his  rights.  If  he  is  not  furnished  with  a  playground 
adequate  for  his  needs  he  will  make  a  playground  of  the  streets  and  lawns 
of  the  neighborhood. 

No  truer  heart  beats  than  that  under  the  jacket  of  the  adolescent  boy. 
He  hates  his  enemies  with  a  bitter  hatred  and  loves  his  friends  and  wor- 
ships his  ideals  with  a  fervor  that  exists  in  no  one  else.  I  am  reminded 
of  a  circumstance  in  my  own  life.    I  was  a  "kid"  myself  not  so  very  long  ago 

34 


THE    PLAYGROUND    AS   A   PHASE   OF   SOCIAL   REFORM  35 

and  got  into  a  scrape  at  school;  the  offense  was  shooting  off  fire-crackers 
in  the  hall,  with  some  others.  They  used  to  call  us  "the  irang."  It  looked 
as  if  some  of  us  would  go  home.  One  day  at  chapel  after  the  matter  had 
been  investigated  the  father  of  the  president  arose  and  made  a  plea  for  the 
boys.  He  said,  "Have  you  noticed  a  tadpole,  with  four  legs  and  a  tail? 
Now  we  can  see  no  earthly  use  for  that  tail,  but  cut  it  off  and  the  tadpole 
dies;  that's  just  the  way  with  the  boy;  sometimes  we  don't  see  the  use  of 
the  fool  things  he  does,  but  they  seem  to  be  as  necessary  to  his  life  as  the 
extra  tail  is  to  the  life  of  the  tadpole." 

The  playground  people  at  Omaha  have  the  right  idea.  They  have 
done  more  for  the  money  invested  than  any  other  city  we  know  of.  The 
following  shows  how  their  ideas  have  "  soaked  in :" 

"Few  prouder  boys  could  be  found  anywhere  in  the  country  than  those  who  were 
recently  used  by  detectives  in  Omaha,  to  assist  in  the  arrest  of  some  train-robbers.  One 
of  the  boys  pulled  a  leather  string  from  a  pile  of  rubbish  in  a  vacant  lot,  and  found  an  auto- 
matic pistol  at  the  end  of  it.  He  discovered  burglars'  tools  also,  and  told  the  police.  The 
police  concluded  that  the  robbers  would  come  back  to  the  rubbish  pile  to  get  their  property, 
and  had  the  boys  play  in  the  neighborhood,  and  keep  watch  for  strangers.  If  any  appeared 
one  boy  was  to  leave  the  game  and  telephone  to  the  police  station.  The  plan  worked  suc- 
cessfully, and  those  accused  of  the  robberies  were  arrested." — Youth's  Companion. 

Mrs.  Heller's  paper,  "The  Playground  as  a  Phase  of  Social  Reform," 
tells  Omaha's  play  philosophy.  It  is  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the 
Playground  Association  of  America,  1908.     The  following  is  a  syllabus: 

The  City  Boy— Heroism— Mischief— " Just  Done  It"— "Getting  Ahead  Vibrations"— 
Parents  Unable  to  Provide  Play  Facilities — Delinquents  "Just  Kids" — Normal  Experience 
Gives  Normal  Boy — School  and  the  Home — Pedagogues  Good  But  Slow — Adequate  Play- 
grounds Will  Prevent  Delinquency — Vice  Can  Be  Conquered  by  Amusements — Constructive 
Value  of  Playgrounds — Playground  City — Publicity — Constructive  Play — School  Gar- 
dens— Recreation  Center — Dramatic  Possibilities — Social  Relations  of  Boys  and  Girls. 


B.     The  Need  of  Athletics  for  Girls 

By  Mrs.  Charles  F.  Weller 

Mrs.  Charles  F.  Weller,  who  for  five  years  was  Head  President  of 
Neighborhood  House  in  Washington,  has  the  following  to  say  in  regard  to 
athletics  for  girls : 

fcm More  and  more  it  is  being  realized  that  it  is  the  girls  who  need  the  play- 
grounds, and  that  they  must  be  influenced  to  attend  in  greater  numbers. 
Evervbodylaccepts  playgrounds  for  boys,  and  the  neighborhood  thinks 
them  quitejthe  proper  place  for  their  boys,  but,  somehow,  for  girls,  why, 
that's  different.  Now,  if  anybody  needs  fresh  air  and  sunshine  it  is  the  girl 
between  twelve  and  twenty  years  of  age,  but  she  is  told  that  it  is  unladylike 
and  immodest  to  run  and  jump  and  play  generally.  Sometimes  she  ventures 
on  the  playgrounds  in  a  freshly  laundered  dress,  plays  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
with  the  result  that  the  dress  is  again  ready  for  the  tub  and  there  are  more 
disparaging  remarks  about  the  playgrounds  from  already  overburdened 


<M)  I'l.WGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

mothers.  Why  not  change  the  dress  for  the  gymnasium  suit  while  on  the 
playgrounds  ?  It  will  be  found  far  more  comfortable,  economical  and 
modesl .  There  is,  however,  among  the  parents,  an  unreasonable  prejudice 
against  the  gymnasium  suit  for  girls,  yet  the  same  people  who  protest 
against  the  gymnasium  suit  for  playground  wear  accept  without  protest 
the  bathing  suit  for  the  public  beach. 

It  is  generally  agreed,  I  think,  that  free  but  supervised  play  gives  that 
jov  and  relief  from  restraint  that  is  every  child's  birthright,  physical  relaxa- 
tion and  upbuilding,  and  moral  development  through  good  fellowship  and 
a  growing  sense  of  fair  play. 

If  this  is  necessary  for  boys,  surely  it  is  much  more  so  for  girls.  Girls, 
much  more  than  their  brothers,  are  bound  down  early  in  life  by  the  respon- 
sibilities of  home,  are  restrained  from  action  and  self-expression  by  foolish 
conventionality,  are  trained  early  to  be  vain  and  self-conscious  and  are 
cramped  and  narrowed  to  the  end  by  the  straitened  limits  of  their  necessary 
activities  and  by  the  artificial  bonds  of  senseless  traditions.  How  many 
women  of  twentv-five  have  retained  any  of  the  litheness  and  elasticity  of 
their  childhood  ?  How  many  can  take  long  walks  without  exhaustion  or 
keep  strength  and  breath  under  control  in  climbing  a  slight  ascent?  It 
would  be  foolish  to  ignore  certain  physiological  differences  between  men 
and  women  or  to  disregard  individual  weaknesses,  but  surely  women  are 
not  a  race  of  invalids  who  must  be  inactive  and  let  their  muscles  soften  with 
disuse.  To  women,  as  not  to  men,  there  come  sometimes  the  crises  when 
muscular  strength  and  sounder  power  mean  the  enduring  of  suffering, 
mean  even  life  itself.  Surely  the  coming  generation  would  be  stronger 
and  sounder  if  every  woman  would  keep  in  active  control  her  physical 
powers. 

It  seems  evident  that  the  hysterical  enthusiasm  for  physical  efficiency 
in  women  which  showed  itself  a  few  years  since,  perhaps  excessively  at 
times,  in  the  popularity  of  the  "athletic  girl"  has  already  met  the  reaction. 
But  must  the  pendulum  sway  back  too  far  ?  Because  boys  have  killed  them- 
selves by  over-exertion  during  the  late  "Marathon  Race,"  should  we 
say,  "  away  with  athletics  for  boys  ?  "  It  has  been  one  of  the  jests  of  the 
ao-es  that  in  the  larger  relations  of  life  women  are  narrow,  short-sighted  and 
mean.  Yet  we  know  that  where  under  modern  conditions  they  have  been 
given  freedom  and  broadening  influences,  they  have  been  a  powerful  force 
in  philanthropic  and  civic  movements  and  have  exemplified  in  public  life 
those  qualities  of  sympathy  and  self-sacrifice  that  are  the  traditional  virtues 
of  the  hearthstone.  So,  if,  as  has  often  been  said,  the  playground  is  a  force 
in  developing  citizenship,  its  benefits  are  needed  most  by  the  girl  whose 
horizon  may  be  narrowed  some  day  by  the  close  boundaries  of  her  own  home 
and  whose  opportunities  for  discipline  through  contact  with  many  people 
and  varying  conditions  may  be  but  few. 

Another  fault  that  the  literature  of  all  ages  has  attributed  to  women  is 
"  vanity."    Can  we  deny  that  the  point  is  well  taken  ?    But  whose  the  blame  ? 


THE  PLAYGROUND  AS  A  PHASE  OF  SOCIAL  REFORM  37 

Has  not  society  always  taught  girls  to  be  self-conscious  ?  Have  not  self- 
adornment  and  personal  beauty  ranked  far  higher  among  feminine  than 
among  masculine  virtues  ?  Many  a  girl  borne  down  by  false  ideals  flings 
her  honor  and  her  happiness  on  the  altar  of  the  God  of  Beauty.  Were  it 
not  for  the  counteracting  influence  of  that  other  one-sided  tradition  which 
puts  social  purity  higher  in  the  scale  of  conduct  for  women  than  for  men, 
the  number  of  girls  sacrificed  to  this  false  standard  would  be  much  greater 
than  it  is. 

For  all  these  unhcalthful  influences  there  could  be  no  better  counter- 
irritant  than  wholesome,  vigorous,  self-immersing  play.  For  girls  whose 
lives  have  been  cast  in  places  sordid  and  impure,  who  have  heard  and  seen 
and  done  much  that  it  were  well  to  cast  out  from  their  memories,  no  gentle, 
"ladylike"  games,  no  dances,  with  their  accompaniment  of  sense-stirring 
music,  their  calculated  grace  and  studied  pose  has  power  to  exorcise  the 
demon  that  has  possessed  them.  It  needs  active,  vigorous  play  like  a  strong 
wind  to  sweep  away  the  impurities  and  to  drive  out,  for  a  time,  the  thought 
of  self  and  the  instinct  for  personal  charm. 

At  a  large  reformatory  one  summer  not  many  years  ago,  all  the  girls, 
to  their  unconcealed  delight,  were  organized  into  baseball  nines.  They 
played,  oh,  how  they  did  play!  The  very  force  that  had  made  them  defy 
society  and  transgress  the  law  was  turned  into  a  masterful  physical  courage, 
so  that  they  went  down  in  the  dust  and  struggled  up  again,  fell  and  had 
determination  to  "still  rise  up  and  sail  right  onward."  Scratched,  dis- 
heveled, bedraggled,  they  were  not  beautiful  to  see.  But  the  prettiest  of 
them  and  the  most  sensual — for  many  of  them  were  both — must  have 
tasted  for  those  few  moments  the  purest  joy  of  their  physical  being. 


"One  former  is  worth  one  hundred  reformers." 

— Horace  Mann. 

"'We  have  no  sense  of  responsibility  in  regard  to  the  pleas- 
ures of  young  people  and  continually  forget  that  amusement 
is  stronger  than  vice  and  that  it  alone  can  stifle  the  lust  for 
it.  We  see  all  about  us  much  vice  which  is  merely  a  love  for 
pleasure  'gone  wrong,'  the  illicit  expression  of  what  might 
have  been  not  only  normal  and  recreative  pleasure,  but  an 
instrument  in  the  advance  of  higher  social  morality." 

— Jane  Addams. 


CHAPTER  V 

Playgrounds  and  Delinquency 

A.     Public  Playgrounds  and  Juvenile  Delinquency* 

By  Judge  Ben  B.  Lindsey 

Judge  Lindsey  is  the  originator  of  the  whole  Juvenile  Court  system  of  the  United  States  and  has 
an  international  reputation  as  an  authority  on  juvenile  delinquency.  He  now  presides  over  the  Juve- 
nile Court  of  Denver,  Col.  In  connection  with  his  court  he  has  organized  the  Little  Citizens  League, 
which  puts  boys  on  their  honor,  and  whose  records  show  that  only  three  hoys  out  of  several  hundreds 
have  betrayed  their  trust.  He  succeeded  in  getting  the  Colorado  Legislature  to  enact  a  law  pun- 
ishing negligent  parents,  employes,  etc.  He  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Governor  of  Colorado 
in  1906,  and  is  the  author  of  "Problems  of  the  Children." — Editor. 

The  great  majority  of  that  part  of  our  so-called  criminal  class  who 
are  caught  and  confined  are  from  the  youth  of  the  nation.  I  believe  that 
the  police  and  the  courts  are  concerned  with  the  lawlessness  of  more  than 
a  hundred  thousand  children  every  year  in  the  citizens  of  this  country, 
and  that  means  a  million  in  each  generation  of  childhood. 

We  cannot  overdraw  the  picture  of  the  increase  in  weakness  and  crime 
among  the  youth  in  the  cities  of  this  republic.  It  is  not  their  fault;  it  is 
ours.  It  is  largely  due  to  that  environment,  to  that  condition  that  we  have 
created.  It  is  not  pretended  that  any  one  remedy  will  suffice,  but  no  one 
remedy  proposed  can  be  more  serviceable  than  the  public  playground. 

Perhaps  the  saddest  thing  in  my  experience  is  the  cursing  of  heartless 
parents  that  I  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  neglected  boys  and  girls. 

Christ  said  of  him  who  would  do  an  injury  to  one  of  these  little  ones 
that  "  It  were  better  that  a  mill-stone  be  hanged  about  his  neck  and  he  be 
cast  into  the  sea."  We  do  an  injury  to  these  little  ones  just  so  far  as  we 
neglect  to  provide  those  agencies  for  their  development  and  protection. 
Just  so  far  as  by  lack  of  interest  we  compel  our  school  boards  to  put  fifty 
children  in  a  room  where  there  shouldn't  be  over  twenty,  deny  a  trade 
school  to  equip  for  industrial  efficiency  and  a  playground  to  equip  the  child 
for  the  advantages  of  the  school  and  life  beyond.  It  is  no  longer  questioned 
that  such  agencies  do  more  to  prevent  crime  than  jails,  courts  and  policemen. 

We  must  not  encourage  the  parent  to  shirk.  Starting  in  Colorado 
about  six  years  ago  we  established  a  new  offense  in  this  country.  It  is  called 
contributory  delinquency  or  dependency.  It  is  spreading  all  over  this 
country.  Under  these  laws  the  State  is  exacting  of  the  parent,  where  the 
parent  is  responsible,  a  more  positive  responsibility  for  the  moral  and 
physical  welfare  of  the  child.  The  parent  who  shirks  may  be  punished. 
Justice  demands  that  this  responsibility  be  extended  to  all  persons  who 
might  properly  share  it.  We  may  all  become  guilty  just  so  far  as  we  fail 
to  strengthen  those  whom  we  have  burdened  with  this  responsibility. 
That  strength  depends  upon  our  support  of  these  agencies,  such  as  school 

♦Reprinted  from  the  Independent,  of  August  20,  1908. 

38 


PLAYGROUNDS    AND    DELINQUENCY  39 

boards,  park  boards,  etc.,  to  provide  the  equipment  necessary  to  give  the 
child  a  square  deal  through  the  public  playground  and  the  school. 

One  obstacle  to  the  public  playground  has  been  the  cost.  If  the  aver- 
afire  citizen,  if  the  average  business  man,  if  vou  please,  would  onlv  wake 
to  the  fact  that  the  most  economic  scheme  for  handling  the  problem  of 
crime  is  that  which  prevents  rather  than  that  which  at  fearful  expense  is 
merely  the  engine  to  convict  and  punish  after  crime  has  become  an  estab- 
lished fact,  we  could  make  progress  faster.  Because  the  actual  return  in 
dollars  is  more  or  less  invisible  it  is  difficult  for  some  people  to  see  the 
necessity  for  public  playgrounds.  They  have  as  little  sense  of  real  values 
as  that  boy  whom  I  induced  to  go  to  Sunday  school.  He  said,  "It's  a 
place  where  all  the  little  kids  go  and  give  up  a  penny  and  don't  get  anything 
back."  He  was  thinking  of  the  substantial  stick  of  candv  he  got  at  the  cor- 
ner  grocery  for  that  precious  penny.  When  asked  if  he  hadn't  learned 
anything  there  he  said,  "  I  learned  about  angels,  I  did.  I  learned  they  had 
wings  just  like  the  chickens,  but  I  didn't  learn  whether  they  laid  eggs  or 
not."  One  of  the  pitiful  things  of  the  past  has  been  our  confusion  in  deal- 
ing with  the  problem  of  crime. 

Thomas  Carlyle  said  there  is  a  gregarious  or  sheep-like  tendency  in 
mankind  to  flock  together  and  have  a  leader,  and  this  tendencv  is  first 
manifested  in  childhood.  And  this,  of  course,  means  the  game — it  means 
play.  You  cannot  keep  children  from  flocking  together;  neither  should 
you.  The  responsible  parent  who  thinks  to  solve  the  problem  by  keeping 
the  boy  away  from  his  fellows  is  more  likely  to  develop  a  mollycoddle  or 
a  milksop.  He  is  frequently  denied  association  with  others,  because  that 
means  the  street.  Let  us  provide  a  better  place  than  the  street  for  his 
playground.  We  want  wholesome,  vigorous  citizens,  with  rich,  red  blood 
in  their  veins.  They  are  to  be  recruited  alone  from  our  children.  Let 
them  mix  with  others,  and  learn  to  face  and  overcome  the  difficulties  that 
come  from  the  mixing,  as  well  as  to  reap  the  joys  and  pleasures  of  the  in- 
stinct to  flock  together,  to  play  together.  Our  duty,  then,  is  not  to  suppress, 
but  to  afford  under  the  best  environment  the  State  can  provide,  the  oppor- 
tunity for  wholesome  association  and  helpful  expression  of  natural  instincts. 

It  is  onlv  the  thoughtless  and  uninformed  who  indifferentlv  wave  aside 
these  important  problems  with  the  suggestion  that  the  children  of  the  past 
did  not  require  such  consideration.  It  is  no  answer  to  our  demand  for  the 
public  playground  to  say  that  all  that  is  needed  is  the  occasional  vacant  lot 
for  the  bov  in  the  city.  It  is  as  absurd  as  to  argue  that  because  the  bov  of 
fiftv  vears  ago  on  the  farm  in  this  countrv  was  not  in  need  of  child  labor 
laws  such  legislation  is  not  necessary  under  present  conditions.  Even  this 
vacant  lot,  either  with  or  without  a  trespass  sign,  is  passing  away  with  the 
old  swimming  hole.  If  it  exists  its  joys  are  mingled  with  the  terrors  of  the 
policeman,  "  Keep  off  the  grass,"  the  broken  window,  the  grouchy  neighbor 
and  the  dangers  that  come  from  the  energy  that  is  misdirected  through 
suppression  and  lack  of  wise  direction.     Our  plea  for  public  playgrounds 


40  l'l   VYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

is  a  plea  for  justice  to  the  boy.  We  are  literally  crowding  him  off  the 
earth.  We  have  no  right  to  deny  him  his  heritage,  but  that  is  just  what 
we  are  doing  in  nearly  every  large  city  in  this  country;  but  he  is  hitting  back 
and  hitting  hard,  when  he  doesn't  mean  to,  while  we  vaguely  understand 
and  stupidly  punish  him  for  crime.  Why  shouldn't  he  rebel?  The  amaz- 
ing thing  is  that  he  is  not  worse  than  he  is. 

Perhaps  the  boy  needs  to  be  taught  where  fun  ends  and  the  law  begins, 
but  his  struggle  for  fun  and  adventure  is  met  all  along  the  line  from  the 
little  seven-year  old,  who  tries  to  reach  the  door-knocker  of  the  neighbor's 
house,  when  the  minister  coming  along  lifted  the  little  fellow  up.  He 
o-ave  it  a  whang  and  a  bang,  and  shocked  the  good  man  as  he  scooted  down 
The  street  as  hard  as  his  little  legs  could  carry  him,  only  to  turn  and  shout 
to  his  friend,  "Hey,  Mister,  you'd  better  run  like  the  devil,  or  you'll  get 
caught."  We  must  know  where  to  meet  this  boy  and  how  to  understand 
him;  and  in  teaching  him  where  fun  ends  and  the  law  begins  we  must  have 
due  regard  both  for  his  fun,  his  exercise,  his  bubbling  energies  and  the 
law.  I  have  found  that  when  we  do  that  he  is  the  noblest  little  creature 
in  the  world.  He  is  truthful,  generous  and  honest.  He  will  respect  your 
rights  even  more  than  you  respect  his. 

Three  of  the  first  culprits  I  ever  tried  were  little  fellows  twelve  or  thir- 
teen years  of  age.    They  had  been  captured  by  the  police  after  a  raid  on 
the  gang.    In  the  center  of  the  group  stood  little  Dave,  who  made  his  tearful 
plea*  to° the  court.      I  said,   "David,  the  officer  says   you  are  guilty  of 
burglary."     "But,"  said  David,  "I  ain't  no  burglary."     "Well,"  I  said, 
perhaps   you   don't    understand.     You   are   charged   with  going   into  a 
box  car  and  taking  things  that  didn't  belong  to  you."     David  was  quite 
typical  of  the  constantly  suppressed  youngster.     He  was  forced  to  live  in 
that  district  that  is  a  part  of  nearly  all  of  our  large  cities,  known  as  the 
Bottoms.     Through  it  comes  the  railroad  tracks.     A  nice  place  indeed 
for  the  rearing  of  children.     He  was  a  typical,  red-headed,  freckle-faced 
boy,  quite  frazzled  out  at  the  elbows  of  his  little  coat  and  the  knees  of  his 
trousers— and  indeed  some  other  places  thereabouts— his  stockings  were 
down,  and  he  dug  his  little  fist  into  his  tearful  eyes,  that  had  filled  his  face 
with  rivulets  of  grime.     "Judge,"  said  David,  "it's  dis  way.     We  lives 
down  by  the  railroad  tracks,  we  do,  and  we  play  among  box  cars,  and  the 
kids  said  there  was  watermelons  in  one  of  them;  didn't  they,  Ikey"— as  he 
appealed  to  the  boy  at  his  right.    "Well,"  I  said,  "that  wasn't  any  excuse 
for  taking  things  that  didn't  belong  to  you"— as  though  the  judge  didn't 
know  that  fruit  like  that  had  offered  temptation  to  other  boys  in  other 
ages.     "Well,"  continued  David,  "when  Ave  got  in  the  car  and  didn't  find 
no  watermelons,  Ikey   said,  'gee  whiz,  kids,  I'll   bet   there's   something 
good  in  the  car,  for  there  was  boxes  in  there  that  had  figs  painted  all  over 
them,'  and  Ikey  said,  'Let's  get  something  good  anyhow'— yes,  you  did, 
Ikev,  vou  know  you  did— and  we  got  open  the  box  and  each  one  of  us  got 
out  a  bottle  and  it  had  figs  painted  all  over  it,  too,  and  each  one  of  us  drunk 


PLAYGROUNDS    AND    DELINQUENCY  41 

a  whole  bottle  full,  and" — to  the  accompaniment  of  tears  and  grimaces — 
"it  was  California  fig  syrup,  and  I  tell  you,  Judge,  we  have  suffered  enough, 
haven't  we,  Swedey  P "  as  he  appealed  now  to  the  boy  on  the  left,  and  Swedey 
chirped  up  in  eloquent  defense:  "Sure  we  have,  Judge,  because  I  drunk 
two  bottles."  and  I  accepted  the  plea  of  David  that  they  had  "suffered 
enough."    I  thought  so,  too. 

Of  course  it  is  a  bad  thing  for  the  boys  to  be  running  on  the  railroad 
tracks.  It  is  only  a  short  step  to  stealing  from  the  box  cars  and  then  per- 
haps from  the  corner  grocery  and  finally  to  "tapping  the  till."  Such  is 
the  progress  of  neglected  childhood.  A  public  playground  will  take  care 
of  that  natural  curiosity  and  disposition  to  play  and  do  things,  and  would 
save  the  railroad  companies  thousands  of  dollars  they  spend  annually  to 
keep  the  boys  in  the  cities  from  making  their  properly  their  playground. 
I  know  a  railroad  official  who  told  me  that  they  had  dispensed  with  one 
expensive  officer  in  one  district  after  a  scheme  of  personal  work  and  help- 
fulness through  the  public  playground  had  been  built  up.  It  had  directed 
into  better  channels  the  otherwise  misdirected  energies  of  these  children. 
A  gentleman  in  one  city  of  fiftv  thousand  told  me  recentlv  that  the  sixty 
boys  who  had  robbed  the  box  cars  within  the  short  space  of  one  month 
were  furnishing  his  road  a  more  serious  problem  than  the  question  of  rail- 
road rates  that  was  then  pending  in  the  legislature. 

I  once  talked  to  a  voung  murderer  nineteen  years  of  age.    He  was  then 

in  the  shadow  of  the  gallows.     He  told  me  his  lawlessness  started  down 

among  the  railroad  tracks  where  he  went  to  play.    It  was  a  powerful  magnet 

for  curiosity  when  there  was  none  other.     And  all  this  is  aside  from  the 

wholesome  character-building  and  the  effect,  both  morally  and  physically, 

upon   the   average    bov   who   has    the    advantage  of   clean    well-directed 

•  ••ill 

helpful  play  that  is  now  to  be  supplied  alone  in  many  cities  through  the 

public  playground. 

I  know  a  city  of  less  than  three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  in  which 
there  were  over  three  thousand  arrests  among  the  boys  in  one  year.  I  walked 
into  one  of  the  courts  of  that  city  and  found  the  time  of  the  jury,  the  judge 
and  the  counsel  taken  up  in  trying  a  boy  of  twelve  for  throwing  a  brick 
at  a  citizen.  The  next  day  I  met  the  boy  in  the  bull-pen  amid  hardened 
criminals.  He  had  chains  about  his  waist  and  knees.  I  asked  the  boy  why 
he  threw  the  brick.  He  said,  "I  never  meant  no  harm,  Mister;  we  was 
just  playing."  I  saw  the  miserable  shack  and  crowded  district  where  he 
lived.  Can  the  boy  be  blamed  if  he  continued  to  throw  the  bricks  ?  Could 
we  be  blamed  if  we  shed  a  tear  at  the  absurdity  and  injustice  of  it  all  ? 
Can  we  be  blamed  if  we  turn  from  the  act  of  the  boy  to  cry  out  against  the 
shameful  criminal  State  ? 

This  child  is  a  wonderful  human  creature — a  divine  machine.  We 
have  much  to  expect  from  him,  but  he  has  much  to  expect  from  us,  and 
what  he  returns  depends  largely  upon  what  we  give. 

We  shall  suffer  with  him  whether  we  will  or  no,  for  we  do  not  share  his 


K'  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAKT 

burdens.  Let  us  not  weary  of  the  struggle  till  the  child  gets  a  square  deal; 
and  until  he  does,  we  cannot  have  and  do  not  deserve  that  glorious  man- 
hood, that  splendid  citizenship  that  will  come  alone  from  duty  done  in  child- 
hood's sacred  cause. 

We  of  the  children's  courts  are  optimistic  because  we  see,  perhaps  with 
clearer  vision  the  most  hopeful  sign  in  this  country.  It  is  that  awakened  con- 
science of  the  State  to  its  own  responsibility  for  the  child — that  in  caring 
for  the  child  the  State  is  simply  caring  for  itself. 

We  have  ceased  in  this  country  to  question  the  duty  of  the  State.  It 
must  provide  free  education  and  pass  compulsory  school  and  child  labor 
laws  and  establish  playgrounds,  trade  schools  and  juvenile  courts,  for  the 
State  suffers  just  as  far  as  the  child  is  ignorant  or  weak.  We  do  not  need 
more  to  emphasize  our  responsibility.  This  nation  must  take  care  of  its 
children.  From  that  duty  it  cannot  and  it  shall  not  escape.  It  is  only  true 
to  itself  just  so  far  as  it  is  true  to  its  children.  Denver,  Col. 


B.     Relation  of  Playgrounds  to  Juvenile  Delinquency* 

Extracts  From  Address  of  Allen  T.  Burns 
Dean  Chicago  School  of  Civics  and  Philanthropy 

The  only  inductive  study  ever  made  of  the  effect  of  playgrounds  on  juvenile  delinquencies 
has  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Allen  T.  Burns.  It  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  studies  ever  contributed  to 
the  playground  movement. 

This  paper  summarizes  the  results  of    the  Chicago  playgrounds  as 
follows : 

A  small  park  neighborhood  recreation  center,  such  as  those  on  the  south  side  of  Clucago, 
can  be  expected  to  be  coincident  with  a  28£  per  cent  decrease  of  delinquency  within  a  radius 
of  one-half  mile,  conditions  of  the  neighborhood  in  other  respects  remaining  stable.  To 
provide  a  probation  district  with  adequate  play  facilities  is  coincident  with  a  reduction  in 
delinquency  of  28  to  70  per  cent,  or  44  per  cent  as  an  average.  In  addition,  over  a  much 
larger  area,  the  small  parks  have  a  tendency  to  decrease  delinquency  17  per  cent.  Remem- 
bering that  the  park  areas  made  only  a  seven  per  cent  better  showing  in  the  matter  of  suc- 
cessful cases  than  the  rest  of  the  city,'  it  may  be  said  that  the  small  parks  have  been  a  greater 
factor  in  the  prevention  than  in  the  reformation  of  the  juvenile  delinquent.  For  the  play- 
grounds, the  only  indication  of  a  helpful  influence  is  the  fact  that  in  the  long  run  and  in 
the  neighborhood  very  close  to  the  playground,  the  children  seem  to  be  so  developed  that  a 
decrease  of  delinquency  results — a  decrease  of  24  per  cent  for  such  neighborhoods  as  com- 
pared with  18  per  cent  for  the  whole  city.  There  was  no  way  of  measuring  the  effect  of  the 
large  parks  upon  the  decrease  of  delinquency.  They  did  show  a  helpful  influence  in  the 
successful  treatment  of  delinquents,  there  being  46  per  cent  of  successful  cases  within  a 
one-mile  radius.  This  is  the  same  favorable  showing  of  seven  per  cent,  as  made  by  the 
small  parks  in  a  one-half  mile  radius.  Upon  these  figures  is  rested  the  case  for  the  thesis 
that  the  presence  of  parks  and  playgrounds  in  a  neighborhood  is  coincident  with  a  decrease 
of  cases  of  juvenile  delinquency  and  with  an  increase  in  the  proportion  of  cases  successfully 
cared  for  by  the  Court. 

A  boy  nine  years  of  age  was  brought  into  court  on  a  charge  of  stealing  and  committed 
to  an  institution  for  a  short  term.  A  year  later  he  was  again  arrested  for  incorrigibility  but 
left  under  care  of  the  officer  to  whom  he  had  been  paroled  from  the  institution.  Three  years 
after  the  second  arrest  he  was  again  brought  into  court  for  incorrigibility  and  committed 


♦Reprinted  from  Proceedings,  1908,  Playground  Association  of  America. 


PLAYGROUNDS   AND    DELINQUENCY  43 

• 

to  the  institution  where  the  less  hopeful  eases  are  sent.  After  his  release  his  family  moved 
from  a  neighborhood  entirely  destitute  of  recreation  facilities  to  a  location  near  Lincoln 
park  which  the  boy  has  since  used  constantly  to  spend  his  leisure.  He  has  improved  suffi- 
ciently to  be  released  from  court  and  causes  no  further  trouble.  Such  cases  as  this,  of  which 
many  are  found  among  the  cases  traced,  indicate  that  the  better  showing  of  park  neighbor- 
hoods as  to  successful  cases  is  due  in  part  at  least  to  the  parks  themselves.  Thus  we  have 
in  the  matter  of  successful  cases  a  possible  index  of  the  park's  influence  such  as  we  could 
not  have  where  there  was  no  opportunity  to  measure  the  decrease  of  delinquency  in  connec- 
tion with  the  establishment  of  the  park.    *     *     * 

But  there  are  citizens  who  will  think  of  the  cost  of  the  small  park — $"220,000  to  establish 
and  $29,000  per  year  to  maintain — the  cost  of  $1.76  for  establishment  and  23  cents  per  year 
for  maintenance  to  the  property  holder  of  $10,000.  Ten  times  these  amounts  for  the  South 
Side  of  Chicago.  And  this  thoughtful  citizen  may  add  that  the  South  Side's  29  per  cent  favor- 
able showing  represents  only  about  one  hundred  bad  boys  saved.  As  a  problem  in  "efficient 
democracy,"  I  suggest  that  such  patriots  of  the  exchequer  consider  the  cost  to  the  public 
treasury  of  handling  each  case  of  juvenile  delinquency.  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  make  such 
a  comparison  for  Chicago,  but  the  accounts  of  the  county  were  not  so  kept  as  to  make  this 

f>racticable  within  the  available  time.  I  do  not  presume,  however,  that  the  cost  of  caring 
or  delinquents  would  equal  that  of  preventing  them  through  the  establishment  of  small 
parks.  The  approach  of  the  former  to  the  latter  expense  might  be  some  solace  to  those 
who  must  make  money  the  first  consideration. 

There  is  another  point  of  view  which  maintains  that  no  matter  how  great  the  cost,  the 
value  of  the  saved  boy  is  inestimably  beyond  it.  This  point  of  view  is  suggested  by  that 
Master  of  practical  life  who  knew  full  well  the  value  of  money,  even  of  the  widow's  mite. 
For  what  shall  it  profit  a  city  if  it  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  the  souls  of  its  children  ? 


C.     Playgrounds  and  the  Grand  Jury 

The  Philadelphia  Grand  Jury  has  made  the  departure,  singular  enough  tor  a  body  of 
such  character,  of  recommending  the  adoption  of  a  general  playground  system  for  the  entire 
city.  The  grand  jury  accounts  for  its  taking  the  initiative  by  the  explanation  that  play- 
grounds are  essential  for  the  prevention  of  crime  among  the  young.  The  truth  of  this  assump- 
tion is  unquestionable.  *  *  *  The  obligation  to  safeguard  the  morals  as  well  as  the  health 
of  the  young  is  one  which  State  and  local  authorities  are  alike  bound  to  respect  and  the  ob- 
servance of  which  cannot  be  too  strongly  and  persistently  urged. — Pittsburg  (Pa.)  Chronicle- 
Telegraph. 


"In  dealing  with  the  problem  of  crime  in  youth,  we  shall 
make  progress  just  in  proportion  as  we  appreciate  the  absurd- 
ity of  limiting  our  remedies  to  the  court,  the  hangman  and 
the  jailer." — Judge  Lindsey. 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  Need  of  Playgrounds  and  Organized  Play  in  Rural  Districts 

Myron  T.  Scudder 
Headmaster  Rutgers  Preparatory  School  and  Professor  of  the  Science  of 

Education,  Rutgers  College 

Nothing  is  of  greater  importance  to  a  nation  than  a  contented  rural 
population.  A  nation  develops  power  in  proportion  as  its  people  remain 
in  large  numbers  on  its  farms  and  dwell  there  in  comfortable  prosperity. 
From  these  farming  sections  have  come  most  of  the  best  men  and  women 
of  the  nation,  and  it  has  come  to  be  a  truism  to  say  that  the  country  boy 
is  a  nation's  most  valuable  asset.  Undermine  the  welfare  of  the  country 
districts;  allow  conditions  of  rural  life  to  be  such  as  to  breed  discontent  and 
drive  people  away;  destroy  or  even  seriously  injure  this  great  reservoir  of 
manhood,  character  and  patriotism  and  you  have  a  social  condition  which 
not  only  threatens  the  life  of  the  nation,  but  if  not  remedied,  is  actually 
the  beginning  of  the  end  of  that  nation's  career. 

Yet  who  does  not  know  that  we  are  menaced  by  this  very  thing  that 
we  dread  ?  Far  and  wide  the  rural  districts  have  been  depleted  of  their 
population.  The  situation  long  ago  became  serious.  In  some  sections  there 
are  not  enough  men  to  exploit  the  natural  resources  of  the  land.  Churches 
and  schools  become  less  well  attended,  grow  weak,  and  close.  Things 
combine  to  work  in  a  vicious  circle;  isolation  and  hardships  drive  many 
away  and  these  isolations  and  hardships  become  intensified  for  those  who 
remain. 

Under  these  conditions,  child  life  in  the  country  frequently  becomes 
peculiarly  dull  and  unattractive;  especially  to  adolescents.  Nearly  every- 
thing conspires  to  drive  them  cityward.  It  is  well  to  have  a  large  number 
of  them  go  to  the  city,  a  very  large  number,  but  when  practicallv  all 
want  to  go,  and  so  many  go  that  the  movement  swells  to  an  exodus,  it  is 
time  to  seek  for  remedial  measures.  House,  church,  school  and  local 
governing  bodies  should  write  intelligently  to  produce  conditions  which 
will  make  for  contentment. 

Fortunately,  examples  of  notable  efforts  are  not  wanting.  Life  in  many 
rural  neighborhoods  is  being  made  far  more  rich  and  attractive  than  for- 
merly.  It  would  be  interesting  to  consider  the  several  elements  which  enter 
into  the  problem  of  securing  a  wider  and  better  rural  life,  but  attention  can 
be  directed  here  to  only  one,  namely,  the  cultivation  of  the  athletic  and  play 
life  of  country  children  which  is  making  such  rapid  progress. 

Country  children  need  play  just  as  much  as  do  city  children.  They 
need  it  for  its  mental,  moral,  physical  and  social  value.  They  need  it 
because  it  makes  for  happiness,  contentment  and  community  spirit.    They 

44 


THE   NEED    IX    RURAL    DISTRICTS  45 

need  it  because  they  do  not  cooperate  well,  because  they  ;ire  too  strongly 
individualistic,  because  they  yearn  for  the  companionship  which  conditions 
in  only  too  many  cases  prevent  them  from  enjoying,  because  physically 
they  are  not.  as  a  rule,  well  developed,  not  being  able  to  meet  even  as  suc- 
cessfully  as  do  city  children,  the  average  athletic  standard  tests,  such  for 
instance  as  are  prescribed  for  the  Public  Schools  Athletic  League.  In  all 
these  respects  play  supplies  the  very  training,  discipline,  and  inspiration 
which  these  children  most  need;  so  its  greal  importance  to  them  can  scarcely 
be  overstated. 

Vet  in  the  face  of  this  great  need  of  theirs,  we  all  know  they  do  not  play 
enough,  while  some  have  almost  no  play  life  at  all.  Except  in  places  where 
special  effort  has  been  made  to  teach  them,  they  know  surprisingly  few 
games.  Moreover,  their  few  games  air  strongly  individualistic,  training 
them  for  isolated  effort,  rather  than  for  cooperation. 

The  country  child  would  undoubtedly  play  more  if  conditions  were 
more  favorable.  But  they  are  not  favorable  to  play.  He  does  not  know 
how  to  play  or  what  to  play;  his  parents  are  usually  out  of  sympathy  with 
play;  and  in  the  country  schools  not  only  are  his  teachers  as  ignorant  as 
himself  in  regard  to  these  matters,  but  even  if  the  child  and  his  teacher  did 
know,  the  trustee  in  many  cases  would  interpose  objections  and  forbid  any 
effort  being  made  in  the  direction  of  organized  play  or  athletics. 

So  here  is  where  an  earnest  systematic  propaganda  is  necessary.  It 
would  be  well  if  country  and  village  school  teachers  could  receive  instruction 
in  that  art  of  play,  and  ministers  and  other  adults  be  enlisted  in  the  cause 
of  rural  playgrounds. 

Properly  organized  playgrounds  and  adequate  opportunities  for  enjoy- 
ing them  will  help  check  the  exodus  from  the  farms.  Where  these  have  been 
provided,  boys  have  definitely  decided  to  stay  at  home  and  farm  it,  instead 
of  leaving  for  the  city.  This  is  not  a  vision;  there  are  actual  instances  to 
support  the  claim.  And  the  equipment  does  not  need  to  be  elaborated 
nor  the  opportunities  laboriously  abundant.  A  boy  doesn't  want  to  play 
all  the  time.  Give  him  an  occasional  chance  and  he  is  happy.  Let  him 
have  his  play  hours  to  look  forward  to  and  a  great  play  festival  once  a  year 
and  the  prospects,  particularly  of  the  latter,  will  brighten  life  for  weeks  and 
even  months,  first  by  eager  anticipation,  and  then  by  the  happy  retrospect. 
Those  who  have  had  experience  with  play  festivals  in  the  country  know 
what  a  tremendous  power  they  become  in  the  life  of  country  people,  young 
and  old,  how  they  check  restlessness  and  quiet  discontent  by  supplying 
the  variety,  the  companionship,  the  mental  and  physical  activity  which  are 
so  ardently  craved.  Perhaps  the  chief  benefit  of  play  in  the  country  will 
be  found  in  its  socializing  influences,  and  in  this  respect  alone  it  not  only 
means  greater  efficiency  of  the  individual  but  a  more  wholesome  community 
life  and  eventually  a  stronger  nation. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  Playground  and  Public  Hygiene 

A.     The   Playground   as   a  Factor   in   School  Hygiene* 

Extracts   from  the  Paper  of  G.  E.  Johnson 
Superintendent  Pittsburg  Playground  Association 

Scarcely  twelve  months  ago  the  whole  country  was  shocked  by  a  dis- 
aster to  school  children  in  Cleveland  so  horrible  in  its  details  that  men  in 
distant  cities  wept  in  street  cars  as  they  read  the  account  in  the  morning 
papers.     *    *    * 

During  the  coming  vear  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  children 
will  end  their  voung  lives,  the  bloom  of  babvhood  scarcelv  vet  faded  from 
their  cheeks,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  Rachels  will  mourn  for  their  little 
ones  and  not  be  comforted. 

To  those  who  rejoice  in  the  living,  Dr.  Hutchinson's  cheering  declara- 
tion that  "  It  isn't  so  very  dangerous  to  be  alive,"  will  bring  its  reassurance, 
but  to  those  who  mourn  for  the  dead,  it  will  lend  an  added  pathos.  The 
unnecessary  loss  is  the  hardest  to  bear.  And  this  loss,  inconceivably  great 
as  it  is,  is  largely  within  our  power  to  prevent.  For  not  only  is  it  not  so  very 
dangerous  for  a  child  from  five  to  fifteen  to  be  alive,  it  is  the  natural  and 

© 

easv  thing  for  him  to  remain  alive— if  he  has  a  fair  chance. 

*  © 

These  are  the  years  when  the  life  forces  are  at  the  flood.  It  is  as  if 
Nature  endeavored  to  repeat  in  each  young  life  at  this  age  the  observance 
of  the  Passover  and  had  sprinkled  upon  the  gate  posts  of  these  ten  hopeful 
years  the  sign  of  immunity  that  the  Angel  of  Death  seeing  might  pass  by. 
We  school  men  often  congratulate  ourselves  that  during  the  years  that 
constitute  the  school  age  for  the  great  majority  of  children  are  the  years 
when  the  death  rate  is  lowest.  And  yet  the  aggregate  preventable  loss 
through  death  in  these  most  favored  years  is  enormous  and  the  sad  proces- 
sions that  follow  abandoned  hopes  to  the  grave  outnumber  in  the  aggregate 
the  armies  of  the  world. 

But  there  is  another  and  more  serious  loss  than  this.  It  is  not  the 
death  rate  during  the  school  age,  however  great  or  small,  that  is  the  sig- 
nificant thing  for  us.  The  significant  thing  is  whether  in  these  years  of 
Nature's  smiles  strength  or  weakness  is  being  laid  by  for  future  years. 
We  are  learning  more  and  more  clearly  every  year  that  our  skulking  foe, 
the  microbe,  of  whatever  tribe,  strikes  when  a  man  is  down.  Patiently 
he  bides  his  time,  gathering  his  forces  in  secret  until  the  time  to  strike. 
No  better  illustration  could  be  given  than  that  of  tuberculosis.  According 
to  Newsholme,  only  three  children  in  10,000  from  five  to  fifteen  years  of 

♦Reprinted  from  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education,  May,  1909. 

46 


THE    PLAYGROUND    AND    PUBLIC    HYGIENE  47 

age,  die  of  consumption,  but  from  fifteen  to  forty-five  more  than  one  person 
in  four  dies  of  this  dread  disease.  Speaking  along  this  line,  Dr.  Tyler  says: 
"It  would  seem  highly  probable  that  the  increased  death-rate  of  girls  at 
eighteen  and  thereabout  from  consumption  and  other  diseases  of  relatively 
slow  action  is  the  culmination  of  an  attack  begun  at  thirteen  or  fourteen. 
If  we  are  to  diminish  this  death-rate,  we  must  fortify  the  girl  against  the 
period  of  greatest  weakness  when  she  is  most  likely  to  receive  hospitably 
the  germs  of  fatal  diseases.  To  accomplish  this  we  must  not  wait  until  the 
twelfth  or  thirteenth  year,  but  meet  the  difficulty  in  childhood." 

Huber,  also,  in  his  work  on  "Consumption"  says:  "There  is  the  long 
period  of  latency  in  which,  if  the  child  be  well  nurtured  and  if  he  live 
hygienically.  he  will  be  likely  to  overcome  such  tendency  to  disease  as  he 
mav  have  begun  life  with." 

When  at  some  future  time  posterity  looks  back  upon  the  conditions  that 
prevail  in  our  day,  it  will  behold  no  darker  picture,  no  more  disgraceful 
thing  than  our  weak  surrender  of  our  children  to  sickness  and  death.  What 
excuse  can  then  be  offered  for  the  fact  that  even  in  this  land,  more  than 
one-half  of  all  the  children  born  into  the  world  die  before  they  have 
reached  man's  estate;  that  seventy  per  cent  of  school  children  suffer  some 
physical  handicap,  more  or  less  serious,  at  the  very  threshold  of  life's 
opportunity;  that  our  schools  not  only  do  not  fortify  the  children  against 
known  enemies,  but  actually  betray  them,  in  their  innocency  to  deadly  foes. 

Am 

The  playground  is  the  only  place  where  a  school  child  gets  air  in  the 
proper  amount  and  kind,  the  only  place  where  he  obtains  full  and  com- 
plete aeration  of  the  blood.  A  despicable  fraction  of  school  rooms  have 
standard  ventilating  apparatus,  and  the  rooms  that  have  do  not  always 
adequately  benefit  thereby.  I  have  personally  tested  a  score  of  school  rooms 
almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  capitol  of  a  state  that  has  the  best  of  existing 
laws,  and  found  the  supply  of  air  to  equal  the  standard  in  only  two  of  the 
rooms  and  in  some  it  fell  to  less  than  one-fourth  of  that  amount. 

But  could  ventilation  be  perfect  in  a  school  room,  there  could  not  be 
the  same  aeration  of  the  blood  of  a  seated,  studying  child  as  of  a  child  on 
the  playground.  There  must  be  the  exhilaration  of  joyous  exercise,  the 
strengthened  pulse,  the  quickened,  deepened  breathing,  the  full  chest  of 
sustained  effort  that  draws  the  blood  to  the  very  apex  of  the  lungs,  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  growing  child.  The  school  room  mav  be  made  less  and  less 
objectionable,  but  so  long  as  it  remains  a  school  room  it  cannot  escape  the 
imperative  need  of  the  playground  as  a  factor  in  school  hygiene. 

As  you  well  know,  it  is  not  only  the  lack  of  oxygen  but  also  the  presence 
of  organic  poison  in  exhaled  air  that  makes  ventilation  so  important.  *  *  * 

Sunshine 

"-  Where  the  sun  does  not  go,  the  doctor  does,"  is  an  Italian  proverb 
quoted  by  Kotelman.     Try  as  we  may,  we  cannot  get  the  sun  sufficiently 


48  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE   AND    PLAYCRAFT 

into  all  our  school  rooms,  and  if  we  could  we  would  shut  it  out  again  as 
soon  as  we  let  the  children  in  to  study,  because  we  say  it  hurts  their  eyes. 

Where  then  shall  the  children  bathe  in  the  sunshine  as  they  should, 
but  on  the  playground  ?  We  do  well  to  debar  contagious  diseases  from 
the  schools,  but  let  fly  over  our  children's  clothing  myriads  of  bacilli,  while 
the  most  malignant  perish  in  a  short  time  in  the  joy  and  the  sunshine  of 
the  playground.  Few  disease  germs  have  been  discovered  that  can  survive 
even  for  one  hour  the  streaming  sun  on  the  face  of  a  laughing  child. 

You  remember  the  experiment  with  the  tadpoles.  They  were  placed 
away  from  the  sunlight  for  thirty  days  and  during  all  that  time  ceased  to 
grow.  Returned  to  the  sunlight,  they  resumed  their  growth  and  advanced 
farther  in  one  day  than  in  all  the  previous  thirty-  Placed  once  more  away 
from  the  sunlight  and  then  returned  to  normal  conditions,  they  grew  to 
stunted  froghood.  Just  such  an  experiment,  society  tried  with  babies  in 
the  dark  rooms  of  New  York's  tenements,  and  every  baby,  almost  without 
exception,  born  and  kept  in  those  rooms,  died.  But  when  Jacob  Riis 
smashed  the  windowless  walls  and  the  light  of  Heaven  streamed  in,  the 
babies  began  to  live. 

In  our  cities  and  larger  towns  everywhere,  we  are  still  repeating,  in  a 
measure,  the  same  experiment  and  place  our  children,  like  the  unfortunate 
tadpoles,  in  darkened  homes,  narrow,  shaded,  and  smoke  enveloped  alleys, 
and  in  school  rooms  into  which  the  sun  seldom  or  never  enters.  Nay! 
Often  in  school  rooms  lit  even  in  the  middle  of  the  day  by  natural  or  artifi- 
cial gas.  Bring  to  these  little  ones  medical  inspection,  examine  their  eyes, 
remove  their  adenoids,  protect  them  from  measles,  and  all  the  rest,  but 
shall  we  not  also  provide  a  playground,  where  for  a  part  of  the  day  they 
may  bathe  in  the  sun  as  God  Almighty  has  said  they  must,  if  they  live ! 

Exercise 

I  have  just  examined  the  indexes  of  two  famous  books  on  school 
hygiene  and  in  them  was  no  such  word  as  exercise.  But  exercise  is  life, 
and  the  absence  of  it  is  the  sure  sign  of  death.  By  exercise  came  evolution. 
Exercise  shaped  the  body,  determined  the  vital  organs,  built  the  brain. 
By  exercise  the  child  takes  possession  of  his  inheritance  from  the  race.  To 
him  it  is  the  past,  the  present  and  the  promise  of  the  future. 

But  that  exercise  no  man  can  dictate,  no  teacher  devise,  no  scholar 
fully  define.  It  comes  forth  unbidden  from  the  child,  declares  his  nature, 
discovers  him  to  himself,  defines  his  relation  to  his  mates,  shows  him  the 
world.  It  is  his  play,  it  is  himself.  Can  the  school  alone  do  this,  be  this  ? 
In  the  long  process  in  which  exercise  shaped  the  body  and  built  the  brain 
there  was  determined  for  all  time  the  path  by  which  the  child  must  come 
into  his  own.  In  that  shortened  process  we  call  childhood,  every  faculty, 
every  power,  every  organ  that  fails  to  receive  its  due  exercise  shrivels,  health 
by  so  much  suffers  and  by  so  much  the  man  becomes  less  a  man.  It  would 
require  a  book  to  speak  in  full  of  the  exercises  of  the  playground  that  meet 


THE    PLAYGROUND    AND    PUBLIC    HYGIENE  49 

the  needs  of  health,  physical,  mental,  moral,  aesthetic,  social  health,  for  all 
these  are  elements  in  the  health  of  the  body,  as  we  all  have  come  to  under- 
stand. But  in  many  respects,  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  these  exercises 
are  impossible  in  the  school;  they  are  possible  only  on  the  playground. 

Once  upon  a  time  the  people  of  a  certain  city  really  believed  what  I 
have  just  been  trying  to  say,  and  when  the  question  arose  as  to  whether  they 
should  build  a  great  public  school  or  open  a  playground  it  was  decided  to 
open  a  playground.  Now  it  came  to  pass,  in  the  course  of  years,  that  the 
citizens  of  that  city  advanced  so  far  beyond  the  rest  of  the  human  race,  I  hat 
in  all  the  centuries  since,  the  nations  that  have  gone  on  building  public 
schools  and  neglecting  to  open  playgrounds  have  not  been  able  to  catch  up 
with  them  even  to  this  day.  *  *  * 

We  have  reversed  the  order  of  importance  in  education  as  it  was  ob- 
served bv  the  Greeks.  The  Greek  education  was  essentially  a  playground 
education  and  the  education  most  nearly  approaching  it  today  is  that  sup- 
plied by  the  playgrounds  of  America.  To  that  classic  demonstration  of  the 
educational  value  of  the  playground  has  been  added  in  our  day  an  avalanche 
of  testimony  from  biology,  physiology,  anthropology,  psychology  and 
sociology.  Of  the  $10,000,000  playgrounds  of  Chicago,  Ex-President 
Roosevelt  says:  "They  are  the  greatest  civic  achievement  the  world  has 
ever  seen." 

To  Sum  Up 

First :  We  do  not  take  good  care  of  our  children. 

Second :  We  need  to  improve  our  care  along  four  lines,  namely,  better 
food,  better  air,  more  sunshine,  better  exercise. 

Third :  In  the  very  nature  of  the  case  the  playground  alone  can  ade- 
quately supply  the  last  three  of  these  to  the  child. 

Fourth:  This  is  no  new  experiment.  We  have  the  classic  playground 
alono;  with  classic  literature,  architecture  and  art. 

Finally:  Just  as  we  have  awakened  to  the  fact  that  the  school  provides 
but  a  small  fraction  of  a  child's  education,  that  environment,  which  includes 
everything  that  comes  into  the  child's  experience  is  teaching  him  every 
waking  moment  of  the  day  (perhaps  every  sleeping  hour  of  the  night,  if 
we  agree  with  Doctor  Worcester),  so  we  have  come  to  understand  that  the 
activities  of  the  school  provide  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  exercise  necessary 
for  the  health  of  a  child  in  this  larger  meaning.  *  *  * 

Not  in  the  school  but  on  the  playground  can  these  deep  instincts 
of  workmanship,  imitation,  rivalry,  cooperation,  find  their  true  and  genetic 
expression  and  build  more  stately  mansions  in  the  soul  as  the  swift  seasons 
roll.  These  instincts  calling  from  the  deeps  of  the  child's  nature  are  not 
voices  calling  him  astray,  or  to  delay  his  upward  progress.  They  are  the 
voices  savin"-  to  him  and  to  the  race: 

Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  O  my  soul, 
As  the  swill  seasons  roll, 


50  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

Leave  thy  low-vaulted  past. 

Let  each   new    temple,   nobler  llian   tlie  last 

Slml  thee  from  Heaven  with  a  <l<>nie  more  vast, 

Till  thou  at  length  are  free, 

Leaving  thine  outgrown  shell  by  life's  unresting  sea. 

B.     Extracts  from  "The  Physical  Director  as  a  Hygienist" 

Wm.  W.  Hastings,  Ph.D. 

Physical  education  as  a  science  is  a  department  of  hygiene.  It  is  not  an  end  in  itself 
but  a  means  to  health  and  vigor.  There  is  no  branch  of  hygiene  with  which  we  are  not 
concerned,  no  preventive  agency  which  it  is  not  OUT  function  to  use.  But  we  are  naturally 
concerned  more  with  personal  hygiene  than  with  natural  and  public  hygiene;  and  of  those 
subjects  upon  which  we  should  be  the  most  capable  of  giving  competent  advice — diet,  rest 
periods  and  muscular  activity  are  most  vitally  important.  Upon  these  principally  depend 
not  only  the  organic  vigor  but  the  intellectuality  and  moral  capacity  of  the  child  and  the 
ultimate  man.  Of  the  three,  diet  and  rest  periods  are  in  a  sense  negative  or  passire  and 
recuperative  factors  while  muscular  activity  is  posit  ire,  act  ire  and  creative  and  hence  most 
important,  bid  it  is  an  entire!//  mistaken  perspective  which  would  emphasize  any  one  of 
these  factors  to  the  exclusion  of  another. 

Three  years  is  the  average  length  of  time  which  we  may  expect  to  have  with  gymnasium 
members.  To  cultivate  in  them  during  this  time  a  half-dozen  good  hygienic  habits  is  worth 
more  to  them  in  the  long  run  of  life  than  the  vhole  three  years  of  gymnastics.  Teach  them 
how  to  eat.  to  sleep,  to  use  the  daily  tonic  of  the  cool  bath,  to  dress  loosely  and  with  adapta- 
tion, to  care  for  the  eyes,  and  above  all  to  make  a  hobby  of  some  outdoor  game  or  sport, — ■ 
walking,  running  (cross-country),  horseback  riding,  bicycling,  golf,  tennis,  etc., — to  culti- 
vate this  habit  the  year  round  or,  better,  to  ride  some  hobby  according  to  the  season  and 
ride  it  hard.  Let  the  seasonal  scent  of  the  air  bring  on  the  spell  of  golf  clubs,  skates  or 
racket,  as  it  does  football,  peg  tops,  marbles  and  baseball  with  the  small  boy.  Fashions 
in  gymnastics  may  come  and  go,  but  recreation  must  go  on  forever. 

Extracts  from  Gymnasium  Hand  Book 
Wm.  W.     Hastings,  Ph.D. 

The  human  body  is  what  we  make  it;  muscle  and  nerve  cells  reflect  the  whole  previous 
hygienic  history  of  the  man.  Nutrition,  strength  of  tissue,  and  organic  function  are  the 
joint  product  of  diet,  exercise  and  other  personal  habits  of  life. 

Modern  conditions  of  living  and  of  labor  are  responsible  for  a  deplorable  lack  of  or- 
ganic vigor,  especially  among  the  people  of  our  cities.  This  tendency  to  physical  degenera- 
tion is  due  principally  to  the  lack  of  musuclar  exercise  involved  in  sedentary  employments. 

The  best  remedy  for  these  conditions  is  to  revert  to  man's  normal  mode  of  living  out 
of  doors. 

C.     Hygienic  Value  of  the  Swimming  Pool 

Extracts  from  Suggestions  for  Checking  Race  Degeneracy 
Due  to  the  Conditions  of  School  Life* 

Dr.  J.  H.  Kellogg 
Superintendent  Battle  Creek  Sanitarium 

The  wearing  of  clothes  is  as  unnatural  to  human  beings  as  dwelling  in  houses,  and 
the  evils  growing  out  of  house-dwelling,  and  smothering  the  skin  with  artificial  coverings 
must  be  antidoted  by  such  means  as  are  afforded  by  the  swimming  pool  and  the  outdoor 
gymnasium.  I  know  of  no  single  measure  by  which  so  much  good  can  be  accomplished 
as  by  these.  Swimming  in  water  at  a  proper  temperature  (75  to  78  degrees)  is  the  most 
admirable  of  all  developmental  exercises.  The  position  of  the  body  is  such  as  to  give  the 
lungs  the  greatest  freedom  of  movement,  and  all  the  muscles  of  the  trunk  and  limbs  are 

♦Reprinted  from  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education,  May,   1909. 


THK    PLAYGROUND    AND    PUBLIC    HYGIENE  51 

brought  into  active  exercise  under  the  most  favorable  conditions.  The  temperature  of  the 
water  both  stimulates  and  facilitates  muscular  movement  and  cardiac  activity.  There  is  no 
other  form  of  physical  exercise  from  which  so  much  benefit  may  be  derived  in  so  short  a  time. 
A  half  hour  in  the  swimming  pool  two  or  three  times  a  week  and  an  hour  with  the  skin 
largely  uncovered  in  an  outdoor  gymnasium  every  other  day  during  the  warm  months  will 
work  wonders  in  building  up  a  good  physique  and  developing  those  functions  of  the  body 
which  prepare  it  to  otter  the  highesl  resistance  t<>  disease. 

Provision  should  be  made  in  connection  with  every  school  for  instruction  and  practice 
in  swimming,  both  summer  and  winter:  and  properly  equipped  outdoor  gymnasiums  should 
also  be  provided  for  both  sexes  in  which  a  considerable  part  of  the  body's  surface  may  be 
exposed  to  the  air  and  the  sun.  Man  is  naturally  an  outdoor  animal  and  requires  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  contact  of  the  fresh  air  and  the  sunshine  with  the  skin  surface 
as  much  as  does  the  gorilla,  the  chimpanzee  and  other  animals  akin  to  man  in  their  physical 
structure.  Facilities  of  this  sort  may  be  provided  at  moderate  cost,  and  the  expense  should 
not  lie  at  all  burdensome  even  in  country  districts,  especially  if  the  present  movement  for 
the  consolidation  of  country  schools  proves  successful. 


D.     Good  Health  And  Good  Government* 

At  the  third  Play  Congress  in  Pittsburg  Congressman  Burke  said  in 
part: 

Good  health  promotes  good  government,  and  good  government  likewise  promotes 
good  health. 

When  the  health  of  the  individual  becomes  impaired  through  the  neglect  of  his  physical 
necessities,  he  forfeits  much  of  his  force  in  sustaining  and  developing  human  society.  The 
man  who  has  never  cultivated  his  mind  or  body,  or  having  developed  them,  has  subse- 
quently destroyed  them  through  neglect  or  abuse,  becomes  as  a  consequence,  and  to  the 
extent  of  that  destruction  a  figure  without  force  in  human  affairs. 

Good  health  is  therefore  one  of  the  essential  attributes  of  every  rugged  unit  of  civilized 
society. 

Man  was  created  to  do  useful  things  for  his  fellow  men.  »In  placing  him  here,  God 
intended  that  he  should  toil  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  in  order  that  he  might  accomplish 
the  high  purpose  of  man  and  enjoy  the  pleasures  that  endure. 

He  was  not  placed  here  that  he  might  prove  indifferent  to  or  neglectful  of  the  persons 
and  things  by  which  he  was  to  be  surrounded.  He  was  intended  to  be  useful  to  himself 
and  helpful  to  others. 

While  all  things  of  man's  creation  decay  with  neglect,  there  is  nothing  in  art  or  nature 
that  fails  as  fast  and  as  certainly  as  man  in  idleness,  and  as  his  energies  are  destroyed  or 
his  faculties  undeveloped  or  impaired  by  ignorance  of  or  indifference  to  the  ordinary  laws  of 
sanitation  or  sane  living  during  his  childhood,  or  in  his  mature  years,  to  that  extent  does 
indolence  upon  his  part  become  natural,  and  to  the  extent  of  his  idling  is  his  usefulness  and 
value  a.s  a  citizen  impaired. 

It  is  therefore  important  that  in  so  far  as  the  government  has  the  right  to  interfere  in  the 
regulations  of  the  affairs  of  the  individual  it  is  not  only  proper  but  important  that  it  should 
by  every  means  within  its  power  encourage  the  adoption  of  methods  that  will  promote  and 
protect  the  health  of  the  citizens.  It  is  quite  as  important  to  prevent  the  development  of 
disease  by  encouraging  young  and  old  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  the  open  air  and  sunshine 
and  the  good  health  and  high  spirits  that  result,  as  it  is  to  destroy  disease,  once  it  has 
developed. 

While  the  scientific  world  is  busy  with  the  development  of  cures,  it  is  equally  essential 
that  the  social  world  should  be  busy  in  the  development  of  all  forms  of  prevention  of  those 
evils  which  result  in  the  breaking  down  of  the  mental  and  physical  structures  of  the  people. 
With  the  rapiil  increase  of  population  in  our  great  cities,  these  questions  arc  impressing 
themselves  upon  us  with  greater  force  from  day  to  day,  ami  these  alarming  factors  are  not 
confined  alone  to  this  country,  but  are  developing  elsewhere  with  alarming  rapidity.  It  is 
only  a  few  years  since  the  Inspector  General  of  the  English  army  said,  "The  one  subject 
that  causes  anxiety  for  the  future  regarding  recruiting  is  the  great  deterioration  of  physique 


♦Reprinted  from  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education,  August,  1909. 


52  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

of  that  class  of  our  people  from  which  the  bulk  of  the  recruits  for  the  army  must  be  drawn. 
Were  all  classes  to  provide  their  offspring  with  ample  food  and  air  space,  a  healthy  race 
would  be  produced  and  the  proper  material  to  fill  the  ranks  of  the  army  would  be  obtained." 

In  1853  the  standard  of  height  in  the  English  army  was  five  feet,  six  inches;  in  1883  it 
was  reduced  to  five  feet,  three  inches;   in  1900  it  fell  to  five  feet  in  stockings. 

A  similarly  alarming  shrinkage  in  chest  measurement  was  shown.  511  out  of  every 
1000  measured  34;  which  was  less  than  the  minimum  chest  measurement  in  1883. 

In  weight  one-third  of  the  whole  army  fell  short  of  the  136  pounds  required  a  generation 
before.  In  1900  the  average  British  recruit  at  the  age  of  19  was  two  inches  shorter,  and  one 
inch  smaller  around  the  chest,  fifteen  pounds  lighter  than  the  normal  Anglo-Saxon  youth 
of  that  age  ought  to  be.  Fifty  per  cent  of  the  London  youths  were  rejected  as  unfit  even 
after  the  standard  had  been  lowered.  Of  the  11,000  young  men  examined  in  Manchester, 
8.000  were  rejected  for  want  of  stamina  and  defects.  In  1903,  81, 000  British  soldiers  were 
discharged  as  unfit  for  duty  after  less  than  two  years  of  service  and  were  discharged  as 
invalids. 

And  to  a  very  large  extent  were  the  crowded  conditions  of  great  England  held  respon- 
sible for  the  decrease  in  the  physical  standard.  In  a  recent  article  by  Ralph  D.  Payne,  he 
states  that  the  conditions  are  no  better  in  the  smaller  cities  of  Scotland  than  they  are  in 
London,  where  300,000  Londoners  live  in  one-room  tenements  with  three  or  more  occupants. 

In  order  to  provide  vigorous  recruits  for  her  army  and  to  strengthen  the  foundations  of 
the  empire,  Germany  prevents  the  overcrowding  of  the  slum  districts  in  her  cities  by  a 
system  of  wise  far-sighted  legislation.  In  Berlin  the  housing  conditions  ol  the  poorer  classes 
are  regulated  and  when  overcrowding  occurs,  a  new  outlet  for  population  is  found  by  the 
city,  which  constructs  the  streets  and  sewers  and  maintains  the  practical  cooperation  by 
builders  by  methods  mutually  satisfactory.  No  German  town  of  any  note  is  without  a  gener- 
ous playground  and  recreation  center  for  its  people. 

In  this  country  the  housing  of  the  people  and  the  questions  arising  out  of  centraliza- 
tion of  population  are  growing  in  importance  with  each  day.  A  century  ago  only  four  per 
cent  of  the  American  people  dwelt  in  town,  while  in  1900  more  than  thirty  per  cent  resided 
in  the  towns  and  cities  of  the  nation. 

Many  believe  that  the  strength  of  the  nation  is  enhanced  by  the  fact  that  almost  one- 
half  of  the  90,000,000  are  still  living  on  the  farms  and  engaged  in  pursuits  that  keep  them 
close  to  the  soil  and  in  vigorous  out-of-door  exercise. 

The  Federal  Government  and  the  government  of  many  states  have  recently  estab- 
lished a  system  of  investigation  pertaining  to  the  health  of  the  people,  and  vital  statistics  are 
now  gathered  with  reference  to  44,000,000  of  our  population,  and  each  year  this  system  is 
growing.  'When  is  it  perfected,  it  will  afford  a  great  impetus  for  the  intelligent  conduct 
of  the  work  to  be  done  by  the  various  branches  of  the  government  in  promoting  the  health 
of  the  j>eople.  For  the  time  being,  certainly,  no  work  in  progress  is  more  important  or  is 
affording  more  pleasure  to  those  concerned  and  better  results  to  the  nation,  than  the  work 
of  the  Playground  Associations  of  this  country. 

The  greatest  things  for  a  nation's  advancement  are  those  which  the  whole  people  accom- 
plish and  the  establishment  by  the  government  of  recreation  grounds,  which  will  be  acces- 
sible to  the  multitudes  will  not  only  promote  wholesome  enjoyments,  but  aid  materially  in 
promoting  the  health  and  happiness  of  mankind. 

E.     One  Million  Pupils  Doomed 

New  York,  July  14. — On  the  basis  of  recent  investigations  the  National  Association 
for  the  Study  and  Prevention  of  Tuberculosis  declared,  in  a  statement  issued  today,  that  the 
United  States  is  paying  annually  $7,500,000  for  the  education  of  children  who  will  die  from 
tuberculosis  before  they  reach  the  age  of  eighteen.  There  are  nearly  1,000,000  school  chil- 
dren in  the  country  today  who  will  die  of  this  disease  before  they  are  of  age. — N.  Y.  Witness. 

(This  society  has  commended  playgrounds  as  being  the  best  means  of  preventing  tuber- 
culosis.— Editor.) 


PART  II 

PLAYGROUND  ARCHITECTURE  AND   LANDSCAPE 

GARDENING 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Playground  Beautiful 

By  Arthur  Leland  and  Lorn  a  II.  Leland 
Pla  yg  round  A  rch  itects 

A.     Need  of  Beautifying  Playgrounds 

It  had  never  occurred  to  us  that  any  defense  for  beautifying  the  play- 
ground was  necessary.  We  had  always  supposed  that  the  reason  why  many 
of  them  were  not  beautified  was  on  account  of  lack  of  money  rather  than 
absence  of  desire.  Of  course,  the  first  essential  of  a  playground  is  that  it 
should  make  provision  for  play;  after  this  end  is  accomplished  it  should  be 
beautified.  Play  purposes  will  not  be  decreased  by  making  things  as  beau- 
tiful as  possible.  In  fact  no  playground  should  be  entitled  to  the  name 
which  does  not  provide  for  the  pleasure  of  the  eye.  Fences  are  necessary; 
why  should  not  hedges  or  vine-covered  fences  fulfill  the  purpose  rather 
than  the  unsightly  board  fence  or  expensive  wrought  iron  picket  fence  ? 


LITTLE   CHILDREN'S    PLAYGROUND,  TRIANGLE    PARK 

Louisville,  Ky. 

The  first  playground  we  ever  saw  was  Columbus  Ave.,  Boston,  which 
at  that  time  was  a  desolate  waste  of  cinders  without  a  tree  or  speck  of  green 
upon  it.  Our  impression  was  that  if  we  should  be  obliged  to  play  there  it 
would  have  to  be  under  compulsion,  especially  so  if  the  country  was  within 
ten  miles  walking  distance,  but  that  mav  be  because  we  were  raised  in  a 

54 


THE    PLAYGROUND    BEAUTIFUL  55 

small  village,  and  that  most  of  our  early  recreation  time  was  spent  in  the 
woods. 

The  purpose  of  play  and  landscape  gardening  should  he  to  foster  in 
the  child  the  love  of  nature  and  the  beautiful.  The  form  which  seems  best 
adapted  for  this  purpose  is  informal  gardening  or  wild  gardening. 

.Esthetic  taste  has  a  true  commercial  value  for  a  manufacturinir  coin- 
munity.     W.  T.  Harris,  speaking  of  this  says: 

One  will  concede  at  the  first  that  tool  work  is  valuable  as  industrial  training,  for  it 
teaches  us  to  manufacture  tools  and  machinery  for  the  performance  of  all  kinds  of  labor. 

The  study  of  natural  science  is  still  more  valuable,  especially  in  its  application  to  mathe- 
matics and  the  laws  of  matter  and  motion.  It  furnishes  the  theory  of  all  machinery  and  of 
all  production  of  supplies  from  nature. 

Besides  this  we  claim  that  general  education  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  opening  as 
it  does  the  powers  of  thought  and  observation. 

^Esthetic  education,  the  cultivation  of  taste,  the  acquirement  of  knowledge  on  the  subject 
of  the  origin  of  beauty,  the  practice  of  producing  the  outlines  of  the  beautiful,  all  these  things 
we  must  claim  form  the  true  foundations  of  the  best  success  in  the  industries  of  any  modern 
nation.  The  dynamic  side  is  needed,  but  the  invention  of  the  useful  does  not  succeed  in  con- 
trolling the  markets  of  the  world.  A  nation  with  graceful  shapes  to  its  productions  com- 
mands higher  prices  for  them.  A  graceful  shape  and  the  proper  ornamentation  charm 
the  purchaser  and  he  willingly  pays  a  higher  price  for  the  beautiful  article  of  usefulness 
made  by  an  artist  than  if  it  is  made  by  the  mere  artisan. 

"  On  another  occasion  I  have  called  attention  to  the  backward  state  of  Swedish  educa- 
tion in  the  aesthetic  art.  Sweden  is  the  leader  in  the  manual  training  movement,  but  her 
educators  have  not  yet  seen  the  importance  of  developing  correct  taste  among  the  laborers 
as  a  condition  of  industrial  success.  Accordingly  we  find  that  ingenuity  is  increasing  to 
some  extent  in  that  country,  but  that  there  is  no  improvement  in  the  artistic  finish  and 
ornamentation  of  their  goods.  Clumsy  shapes  and  incongruous  ornament  are  the  charac- 
teristics of  Swedish  goods.  Other  nations  do  not  want  such  ugly  shapes  in  sight  and  do 
not  buy  them.  To  have  ugly  utensils  perpetually  in  view  generally  works  degeneration  in 
one's  tastes." — From  Educational  Report,  1904,  pages  1133-1136. 

Figures  from  our  commercial  reports  show  that  we  import  raw  materials  from  Sweden, 
but  that  we  do  not  buy  their  manufactures.  In  1881  the  imports  from  Sweden  and  Norway 
of  raw  materials  amounted  to  $744,018.00,  but  of  manufactures  of  iron  anil  steel,  $111,749.00 
were  reported.  We  imported  wood  manufactures  from  them  only  to  the  amount  of  $137.00, 
but  we  imported  rags  for  the  paper  manufacturers  to  the  amount  of  $39,000.00,  but  no 
manufactured  clothing  to  speak  of.  The  same  year  Belgium  sent  us  wood  manufactures 
to  the  amount  of  $118,14(5.00. 

Prince  Albert  in  1851  became  convinced  that  the  English  manufactured  goods  were  not 
of  a  character  to  compete  with  those  of  France  and  Belgium.  So  he  set  in  motion  a  deep- 
reaching  system  of  art  education  that  should  correct  the  national  defect  and  recover  the 
prestige  of  British  manufactures.  General  instruction  was  given  in  the  forms  of  ornamenta- 
tion which  the  world  considered  beautiful.  From  this  time  began  a  gradual  rise  in  the  taste 
of  the  English  workman;  from  being  an  artisan  pure  and  simple,  he  began  to  be  an  artist. 
England  has  gone  forward  rapidly  in  the  production  of  works  of  taste. 

Taking  the  hint  from  England,  we  have  in  our  country  paid  considerable  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  art  education. 

The  days  of  poverty  must  of  necessity  be  satisfied  with  the  useful  without  ornamentation 
even  though  the  poor  desire  it.  As  progress  in  wealth  advances  the  aesthetic  is  demanded. 
If  the  country  is  to  keep  its  prestige  in  the  markets  of  the  world  and  especially  if  we  wish 
to  handle  the  fancy  trade,  every  possible  effort  must  be  made  for  the  cultivation  of  the  aesthetic 
taste  of  our  workmen. 

Beautiful  surroundings  are  as  important,  in  fact  are  more  important 
for  the  cultivation  of  taste  than  is  special  art  education.  If  we  make  our 
playgrounds  and  cities  beautiful  the  children  will  become  accustomed  to 
the  beautiful,  will  demand  the  beautiful,  and  will  copy  and  produce  the 
beautiful. 


5G  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 

B.     Importance  of  a  Comprehensive  Plan 

When  commencing  the  construction  of  a  playground  the  first  thing 
that  should  be  done  is  to  draw  up  a  comprehensive  plan  of  development. 
Not  only  should  the  playground  be  planned  by  one  who  has  the  knowledge 
of  shrubs  and  trees  but  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  work  laid  out  by  one  who 
is  intimate  with  playground  needs.  Most  of  the  playgrounds  in  our  country 
are  rather  badly  laid  out  and  much  money  is  wasted  in  changing  them;  for 
instance,  two  playgrounds  in  Denver  were  laid  out  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
it  impossible  to  play  baseball  on  the  block,  whereas  with  a  little  more  careful 
planning  it  would  have  been  possible  to  have  accommodated  three  times 
the  number  of  children  in  a  much  more  effective  and  beneficial  way,  on  the 
same  grounds.  The  apparatus  is  often  set  up  in  the  wrong  place  and  im- 
provements are  not  projected  with  reference  to  the  future. 

The  North  Denver  playground  illustrates  this.  It  is  on  a  side  hill 
and  the  gymnasium  frame  was  put  on  the  top  above  grade.  It  occupied 
the  only  level  spot  on  the  block  large  enough  for  baseball.  Of  course  the 
boys  who  had  been  playing  baseball  were  much  more  interested  in  their 
own  game  than  in  an  "old  open  air  gymnasium"  fit  only  for  the  use  of 
"  de  big  guys."  Also  the  placing  of  this  equipment  here  covered  up  the  dirt 
which  was  necessary  in  order  to  fill  the  lower  part  of  the  grounds.  The 
playground  was  so  small  and  the  street  grades  were  such  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  grade  it  in  terraces  without  going  way  below  the  street  line. 
This  made  it  necessary  to  lower  the  upper  end  and  raise  the  lower  end 
as  described  under  the  article  on  construction,  pages  109-115. 

The  extra  expense  entailed  in  the  erection  of  the  apparatus,  taking 
down,  and  re-erecting  in  the  proper  place,  together  with  the  damage  done 
by  the  children  was  probably  about  five  or  six  hundred  dollars  to  say  nothing 
of  the  hard  feelings. 

When  contemplating  the  placing  of  a  playground  in  a  new  neigh- 
borhood the  first  thing  to  be  done  should  be  to  study  the  "kids"  in  the 
neighborhood  and  see  what  they  want.  There  is  considerably  more  to  a 
playground  than  teeters  and  see-saws  and  gymnastics.  If  we  don't  give 
the  children  what  they  want  they  won't  come  and  we  don't  blame  them. 
It  takes  considerable  of  a  playground  to  compete  with  the  excitement  of 
the  street.  We  can't  make  the  children  take  what  we  think  they  ought  to 
have.  They  may  not  want  just  what  they  ought  to  have.  We  have  to  com- 
promise and  give  what  they  will  take  and  later  add  what  they  need. 

The  first  thing  one  "playground"  (?)  did  was  to  destroy  the  play- 
ground the  children  already  had  and  as  very  little  supervision  was  given, 
those  boys  were  the  "sorest  bunch  of  kids"  imaginable.  It  was  reported 
to  us  that  they  whittled  points  on  the  handles  of  the  teeter  ladders,  cut 
the  ropes,  and  raised  havoc  generally  so  that  the  neighbors  were  continu- 
ally making  complaints.  One  of  the  boys  asked  us,  "Be  youse  going  to 
leave  the  little  punks  on  the  playground  this  year?"  On  being  questioned 
as  to  what  he  meant  he  stated  that  "  last  year  there  was  a  big  man  stood  at 


THE    PLAYGROUND    BEAUTIFUL  57 

the  gate  and  didn't  leave  none  of  the  little  punks  in."  We  later  learned  that 
they  didn't  have  enough  money  to  have  the  ground  supervised  all  the  time. 
We  think  that  if  not  enough  money  is  available  for  supervision,  grading  and 
equipment  the  supervision  should  come  first,  then  the  grading  and  then 
the  equipment,  and  after  that  the  playground  can  be  made  beautiful.  But 
a  comprehensive  plan  and  an  expert  estimate  is  absolutely  essential  in  order 
to  know  what  to  do  and  what  not  to  do. 


CHAPTER  IX 

A.     The  Development  of  Playground  Landscape  Gardening  and 
Architecture  in  the  United  States 

The  forces  which  have  contributed  to  the  development  of  beautiful 
playgrounds  have  been  the  same  as  those  which  have  led  to  the  develop- 
ment of  parks.  With  our  English  and  German  traditions  we  have  inherited 
the  love  of  nature  and  the  beautiful  in  nature.  England  has  always  had 
sport  fields  and  parks.  So  naturally  the  villages  of  New  England  had 
their  commons  with  baseball  and  football  fields  which  were  used  also  for 
the  pasturage  of  cows.  It  has  always  been  their  inalienable  right  for  all 
children  to  play  upon  these  commons. 

1.  The  Sport  Field.  Our  park  movement  and  our  playground 
movement  so  far  as  they  are  concerned  with  "  sport  fields  "  have  a  common 
origin.  As  the  towns  grew  into  cities  it  was  found  necessary  to  adapt  these 
parks  to  use,  and  throughout  the  whole  country  the  majority  of  the  cities 
maintained  parks  with  facilities  for  athletics  which  might  be  termed  "  sport 
fields."  Located  in  parks  of  course  they  are  in  the  beautiful  surroundings 
made  possible  by  landscape  architecture.  Boston  has  been  the  leader  in 
the  sport  field  movement. 

2.  The  Genesis  or  the  Outdoor  Gymnasium.  Two  factors  led 
to  the  combination  of  the  park  and  the  outdoor  gymnasium  into  the  play- 
ground or  recreation  park.  First,  the  development  of  gymnasiums  and 
facilities  for  physical  training.  There  seemed  to  be  a  need  for  exercise 
out  of  doors.  Second,  the  maintenance  of  small  parks  in  thickly  crowded 
sections  of  the  city  is  a  very  serious  problem.  Feeling  that  they  had  a  solu- 
tion of  this  problem  the  Boston  Park  Board  secured  the  cooperation  of 
Dr.  D.  A.  Sargeant,  who  had  not  forgotten  when  he  was  a  boy  and  he 
designed  some  gymnasium  apparatus,  appropriate  for  outdoor  use. 

A  well  known  landscape  architect  was  secured  to  add  the  beautifying 
and  the  Charlesbank  Playground  was  a  reality.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  {esthetic  development  of  playgrounds  in  this  country.  There  was 
an  open  air  gymnasium  for  men  with  a  running  track  at  one  end,  then  came 
a  little  interior  park  such  as  had  been  common  all  over  the  city,  having  the 
usual  landscape  features  found  in  such  interior  breathing  spaces,  with  walks, 

58 


PLAYGROUND    LANDSCAPE    GARDENING    AND    ARCHITECTURE 


>0 


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shrubs  and  grass.    At  the  other  end 
was  a  playground*  for  women  and 
children  with  gymnasium  apparatus 
and  a  little  running  track  around  the 
outside  with  grass  in  the  center  for 
the  children  to  play  on.   A  high  board 
fence  surrounded  the  women's  gym- 
nasium and  a  thicket  of  shrubs  was 
planted  along  the  outside  to  screen 
the  unsightly  fence  from  the  passers- 
by.     Both  of  these  playgrounds  had 
buildings   with    locker    rooms    and 
space  for  dressing  and  storage.    This 
pioneer  playground  was  opened  in 
1 889.     It  was  the  forerunner  and  in- 
spiration |  for    many    other    similar 
movements  of  the  country,  the  most 
notable  of  which  is  the  development 
of  the  Recreation  Parks  of  the  South 
Park  Commission   of  Chicago  and 
the  Louisville  Recreation  Parks. 

3.  The  Recreation  Park, 
Louisville.  In  1892  the  same 
landscape  architects  who  laid  out  the 
Charlesbank  Playground  were  se- 
cured to  plan  a  park  system  for 
Louisville,  Kv.  Among;  the  im- 
provements  projected  was  that  of  an 
open  air  gymnasium  at  Boone  Park 
and  in  two  other  small  squares. 
Boone  Park  was  laid  out  on  the  site 
of  an  old  residence.  It  was  in  the 
form'of  a'small  recreation  park.  It 
had  a  playground  for  the  boys  con- 
taining swings,  giant  strides  and  par- 
allel bars,  which  were  made  by  a  local 
carpenter.  The  surface  of  this  play 
space  was  covered  with  pebbles  one- 
fourth  to  one-half  inch  in  diameter. 


*The  women's  and   children's  playground  was 
opened  in  1891. 


60 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


Another  portion  of  the  ground  was  designed  for  small  children  and  con- 
tained   a    sandbank    under  a  vine-covered    arbor,   a    number  of   swings 


General  Plan 


For*. 


FOR. 

Boone  square 


Louismlle.Ky 

Scale 


AaooftLifai  MAS*  Jul*    l»o» 


Rowan  Street 


"-•(•8         0*-**- 


Duncan  3tr.eet 


Duncan  3tr.eet 

^V-  ,e*y  -  ,f%     ,fl%,     /^k      C^a     t?"k     .?%,     r'0-'?,     ^^     «fv\     ^      ^^^ 


and  a  band  stand.  Both  of  these  play  spaces  were  surrounded  with 
iron  fences  covered  with  roses  and  part  of  the  grounds  were  laid  off  in 
a  large  open  lawn  surrounded  by  macadamized  walk  with  shrubbery 
and  trees  placed  in  appropriate  places.  Outside  of  the  walk,  between 
it  and  the  street,  shrubbery  was  planted.  About  this  same  time  in 
Louisville  two  other  very  small  playgrounds  were  laid  out.    They  could 


PLAYGROUND    LANDSCAPE    GARDENING    AND    ARCHITECTURE  61 

hardly  be  called  playgrounds.  They  were  at  the  intersection  of  two  streets, 
and  contained  a  fountain  and  benches,  and  shade  was  obtained  by  cover- 
ing them  with  vines.  They  also  contained  play  facilities  but  were  soon  dis- 
mantled because  they  were  not  properly  policed  and  became  a  loafing  place 
for  bums.  Boone  Park  Playground  in  its  construction  very  nearly  ap- 
proached the  present  idea  of  Recreation  Park,  emphasizing  as  it  did  the 
playground  rather  than  the  open  air  gymnasium.  It  was  a  small  inte- 
rior park  with  facilities  for  play.  It,  however,  lacked  the  proper  amount 
of  supervision  and  it  had  "Keep  Off  the  Grass"  signs  in  the  large  central 
grass  plot,  but  in  all  the  essential  features  except  that  of  supervision  by 
playground  instructors  rather  than  by  park  guards  it  was  a  modern  play- 
ground. 


Courtesy  of  Lafon  Allen. 

WADING    POOL    IN    TRIANGLE    PARK 
Louisville 

The  artistic  shelter  cost  83,000.     It  has  large  play  room  and  toilets 

4.  The  Model  Playground,  Triangle  Park.  In  1899  the  Park 
Board  commenced  planning  a  model  playground  for  Louisville.  It  was 
laid  out  in  two  parts:  a  large  grass-covered  athletic  field  surrounded  by 
a  macadamized  walk,  and  a  playground  for  small  children  with  a  wading 
pool  and  with  an  artistic  little  shelter  house.* 

5.  First  Wading  Pool  of  the  Country  in  Small  Park.  So  far 
as  we  know  this  was  the  first  wading  pool  in  the  country  to  be  installed  in 
a  small  park.  The  children's  playground  had  a  shelter  house  which  con- 
tained toilet  facilities  and  a  central  play  room  surrounded  with  a  wrought 
iron  picket  fence.  Around  the  outside  of  the  playground  next  to  the  street 
were  planted  different  varieties  of  hardy  shrubbery  and  trees  were  located 
at  appropriate  places.  This  playground  was  two  years  in  construction  being 
completed  in  1900.  It  cost  exclusive  of  the  land  about  $55,000.00  for  those 
two  years.    It  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  park  guard. 


♦See  plan,  pages  66,  67. 


62 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


({.  Central  Park.  The  Dupont  estate,  a  large  private  residence 
and  park,  had  been  carried  on  by  the  Park  Board  as  a  public  park  for 
several  years.  It  was  located  in  the  heart  of  the  residence  district  of  the 
city,  with  the  foreign  population  of  the  "Cabbage  Patch,"  several  blocks 
distant  on  one  side  while  the  other  side  of  the  estate  fronted  upon  the  finest 
residence  street  of  the  city.  It  comprised  a  tract  of  about  fifteen  acres 
thickly  covered  with  an  old  grove  of  elms  and  other  shade  trees.  In  1900 
a  referendum  was  prepared  that  asked  that  the  city  issue  bonds  for  ninety 
thousand  dollars  to  purchase  this  estate  to  be  used  as  a  public  playground. 
The  Recreation  League  which  had  just  been  formed  to  agitate  playgrounds 


THE   TENNIS    COURTS 
Triangle  Park,  Louisville 


used  the  school  children  in  securing  the  passage  of  the  referendum.  The 
street  car  companies  gave  free  passage  for  the  children  to  the  park  on  the 
day  before  election  and  a  gigantic  mass  demonstration  was  held.  This, 
so  far  as  we  know,  was  the  first  instance  in  which  the  school  children  have 
been  used  in  securing  playground  votes.  The  scheme  worked  beautifully 
and  the  voters  consented  to  the  issuance  of  the  bonds.  Several  years  were 
required  for  the  supreme  court  of  the  State  to  pass  an  opinion  on  the  legality 
of  this  action.  Finally  the  bond  issue  was  declared  legal  after  several  years* 
delay  and  the  outdoor  gymnasiums  and  buildings  indicated  in  the  illustra- 


PLAYGROUND    LANDSCAPE    GARDENING    AND    ARCHITECTURE 


63 


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tions  were  erected.  For  several  years  before  these  improvements  were  put 
in,  this  park  formed  part  of  the  playground  system  which  was  inaugurated 
in  1901. 

7.  The  Model  Small  Playground.  In  1901  Louisville  laid  out 
another  small  playground  about  two  acres  in  extent,  Baxter  Square.  This 
also  had  a  large  wading  pool,  a  small  central  grass  plot,  macadamized  walk 
around  the  outside  and  shrubbery  between  that  and  the  street.  An  iron 
picket  fence"  was  placed  around  the  outside.  This  ground  also  was  placed 
in  charge  of  a  park  guard,  and  was  intended  for  the  small  children  only. 

8.  A  System  of  Supervised  Playgrounds.  In  1901  all  of  these 
small  parks  were  opened  up  as  "really  and  truly  playgrounds"  with  a  man 


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66  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 

and  a  woman  instructor  at  each  ground  six  hours  a  day  and  with  a  park 
guard  on  the  grounds  all  the  time.  The  "Keep  Off  the  Grass"  signs  were 
pulled  down,  the  children  were  allowed  on  the  grass  and  conducted  organ- 
ized plays  and  games  six  hours  each  day.  At  the  expiration  of  the  six 
hours  they  were  sent  off  the  grass  but  could  spend  the  rest  of  the  time  on 
the  walks  or  using  the  gymnasium  apparatus.  Simple  playground  equip- 
ment such  as  swings,  ladders,  see-saws,  sandboxes,  basketball  courts  and 
lawn  tennis  courts  were  provided. 

The  whole  system  was  in  charge  of  a  trained  supervisor  who  directed 
the  work  of  the  various  assistants.  With  the  exception  of  New  York, 
and  possibly  Chicago,  we  think  that  Louisville  was  the  first  city  to  employ 
a  general  supervisor  of  playgrounds,  and  Louisville  was  also  the  first  city 
in  the  country  to  have  all  of  its  playgrounds  maintained  under  one  organi- 
zation. 

9.  Philadelphia:  The  John  Dickinson  Playground.*  So  far 
as  we  have  been  able  to  discover  after  Charlesbank  the  next  playground 
approaching  the  modern  idea  and  including  aesthetic  features  was  the 
John  Dickinson  Playground,  Philadelphia.  This  playground  was  open 
to  the  public  in  1898.  It  consisted  of  a  city  block  which  was  sur- 
rounded with  a  border  of  trees  with  a  large  open  field  in  the  center  and  with 
a  building  for  men  on  one  side  of  the  grounds  and  with  one  for  women  and 
children  on  the  other.  The  features  of  the  playground  equipment  were 
mostly  of  a  gymnastic  nature  such  as  were  to  be  found  in  the  Charlesbank 
Gymnasium. 

On  account  of  lack  of  supervision  and  defects  of  construction,  for 
example  the  walk  around  the  playground  was  made  out  of  marble  dust 
which  became  finely  pulverized  and  was  blown  all  over  the  neighborhood 
by  every  wind  that  stirred,  this  playground  received  very  severe  criticism 
on  the  part  of  the  neighbors,  for  the  marble  dust  became  very  obnoxious. 
On  account  of  lack  of  fences  and  supervision  the  playground  was,  I  believe, 
closed  up,  and  the  sad  experience  gained  therefrom  has  delayed  the  play- 
ground movement  in  Philadelphia  very  greatly,  and  has  hindered  the  de- 
velopment many  years. 

10.  New  York.  The  Park  Playgrounds  in  New  York  have  always 
partaken  more  largely  of  the  nature  of  outdoor  gymnasiums  and  sport 
fields  combined  than  of  recreation  parks  like  those  of  Chicago  and 
Louisville.  The  first  of  these,  Hudson  Bank  Gymnasium  and  Playground, 
was  opened  in  1898. 


♦For  an  account  of  this  Playground  see  Article  by  John  H.  Chase,  Playgrounds,  November,  1908- 
January,  l'JO'J. 


PLAYGROUND    LANDSCAPE    GARDENING    AND    ARCHITECTURE 


G7 


11.  Chicago.  "In  189C,  under  the  auspices  of  the  University 
Settlement  of  the  Northwestern  University,  a  large  and  splendidly  equipped 
playground  was  opened  which  would  accommodate  from  three  to  four 
thousand  children."  The  expenses  for  this  work  were  paid  by  several 
gentlemen  who  desired  to  furnish  an  object  lesson  to  the  city.  "  Numerous 
swings,  large  and  small,  giant  strides,  see-saws,  sand  piles,  etc.,  afford 
ample  amusement  for  the  children,  who  fairly  swarm  here.  There  is  also 
a  large  shelter  provided  with  plenty  of  benches  and  with  a  retiring  room. 
A  police  officer,  who  is  a  father  to  the  boys,  and  a  matron  have  the  charge 
of  the  grounds.  The  police  in  the  neighborhood  are  much  interested  in 
this  venture;  in  the  spring  they  planted  six  trees  in  the  grounds,"  showing 
their  appreciation  of  the  work.  So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  find  out  this 
is  the  first  instance  of  beautification  in  a  Chicago  playground. 


Photo  by  Charles  Mulford  Robinson 
EVEN   THE   OUTDOOR   GYMNASIUM    MAY    HAVE    A    PLEASANT   SETTING 


Of  course,  Chicago,  in  common  with  the  other  American  cities,  had 
its  public  parks  with  sport  fields  in  them. 

When  the  South  Park  Commission  conceived  the  idea  that  their  parks 
should  be  useful  as  well  as  beautiful,  the  Playground  Beautiful  arrived  at 
self-consciousness.  For  a  full  description  of  this  system  of  parks  see 
Chapter  X. 

12.  St.  Paul  Playgrounds.  St.  Paul  in  1904  attempted  upon  a 
very  meager  appropriation  to  follow  the  example  of  Louisville  (see  Chapter 
XIV). 


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PLAYGROUND    LANDSCAPE    GARDENING    AND    ARCHITECTURE  69 

13.  Canandaigua,  N.  Y.  One  of  the  best  examples  of  playground 
landscape  gardening  is  shown  at  Canandaigua,  which  is  described  by 
Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  Ph.  D.,  in  a  paper  "Landscape  Gardening  for 
Playgrounds,"  which  was  reprinted  in  the  Proceedings,  1908,  of  the  Play- 
ground Association  of  America.  In  this  article,  Mr.  Robinson  tells  in  detail 
the  reasons  for  making  playgrounds  beautiful,  suggests  some  methods  of 
landscape  gardening  including  beautification  of  play  space.  He  suggests 
shrubs,  vines  and  flowers  adapted  for  use.  This  paper  is  a  very  valuable 
contribution  to  the  subject. 

14.  Rochester,  N.  Y.  Brown  Square  playground,  located  in  one 
of  the  Rochester  parks  is  a  Recreation  park  similar  to  those  at  Louisville. 
Shade  and  grass  combined  with  supervised  play  are  here  united. 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Recreation  Parks  of  Chicago 
By  Henry  S.  Curtis 

1.  Origin.  In  1903  an  amendment  was  made  to  the  Park  Act 
enabling  the  South  Park  Commission  to  issue  bonds  for  the  purchase  and 
equipment  of  ten  new  parks.  These  were  laid  out  with  all  the  aesthetic 
features  ever  seen  in  any  park  in  the  country  and  with  every  variety  and 
sort  of  recreation  feature.  The  following  bv  Dr.  Curtis  is  a  characteristic 
description : 

2.  Description:  The  South  Park  Playgrounds.  No  one  can 
see  the  new  system  of  parks  and  playgrounds  in  Chicago  without  a  feeling 
of  admiration  and  wonder  at  this  magnificent  civic  enterprise.  Taking  all 
in  all  and  considering  the  magnificence  with  which  it  is  planned,  the  great 
number  and  variety  of  new  features  which  have  been  introduced,  and  the 
rapidity  with  which  it  has  been  accomplished,  this  seems  to  me  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  undertakings  that  has  been  carried  through  by  any  Com- 
monwealth. 

3.  Manner  of  Appointment  of  Commission.  The  South  Park 
Commissioners,  appointed  by  the  judges  of  the  circuit  court,  and  thus  inde- 
pendent of  politics,  have  always  been  men  of  the  highest  ability  and  integ- 
rity. The  actual  supervision  of  the  parks  and  playgrounds  has  been  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  J.  Frank  Foster,  a  man  of  tireless  energy  and  unusual  ability, 
for  the  past  twenty-seven  years.  He  has  had  the  same  freedom  in  making 
appointments  and  discharges  that  a  man  has  in  his  own  private  business. 
South  Park  is  a  separate  taxing  body  and  levies  a  tax  of  two  mills  on  South 
Chicago  for  the  support  of  this  park  system,  so  that  it  is  independent  of 
the  city  both  in  its  officers  and  its  funds.  It  gets  its  appropriations  directly 
from  the  State.  It  has  a  separate  police  force,  a  separate  water  system  and 
is  now  installing  a  separate  electric  light  plant.  This  form  of  organization 
has  doubtless  added  to  the  efficiency  of  the  system,  yet,  the  new  South 
Park  System  still  remains  a  work  of  almost  inexplicable  genius. 

4.  Cost.  A  little  more  than  two  years  ago  it  received  $4,000,000 
for  small  parks  and  playgrounds.  Since  that  time  it  has  received  $2,500,000 
additional,  West  Park  has  received  $3,000,000,  and  North  Parks  $500,000, 
making  $10,000,000  in  all.  This  increase  of  $6,000,000  over  the  original 
appropriation  seems  to  show  that  Chicago  believes  in  her  new  system,  and 
is  ready  to  tax  herself  for  its  support  and  increase. 

5.  Combine  Beauty  and  Utility.  One  of  the  first  features  to 
strike  the  eye  of  the  visitor  is  that  this  park  playground  has  the  beauty  of 
the  park  and  the  utility  of  the  playground  at  the  same  time.    It  is,  in  fact,  a 

70 


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RECREATION 
BUILDING 

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F/P3T    FLOOR     PLAN 


71 


72 


PLAYGROl  \l>    TE<  HNIQUE    AND    PLATCRAFT 


playground  for  all  ages  and  sexes,  and  yet  so  beautiful  that  it  seems  like 
an  oasis  in  tin-  coal-grimed  desert  of  South  Chicago.  Each  of  them  is 
surrounded  by  a  high  iron  fence,  but  even  now  the  fence  is  so  far  concealed 
by  trees,  {lowers  and  shrubs  that  it  can  scarcely  be  seen  from  the  inside, 
and  soon  it  will  entirely  disappear.  On  entering  one  is  first  impressed  by 
the  athletic  field,  where  baseball  and  tennis  are  played  during  the  summer, 
football  and  tennis  in  the  fall,  and  skating  and  tobogganing  are  enjoyed  in 
winter.  The  water  is  sprayed  on  with  a  hose,  so  that  the  ice  is  frozen  as 
soon  as  the  thermometer  drops  one  or  two  degrees  below  the  freezing  point. 
As  these  parks  are  in  crowded  sections  the  ice  is  literally  covered  with 
skaters.  A  slide  is  erected  at  one  edge  for  tobogganing.  The  shelter  house 
on  one  side  is  closed  in  and  heated  for  the  skaters  and  coasters. 


In 


HARDIN   SQUARE— A   RECENT   SOUTH   PARK   PLAYGROUND 

(j.  Outdoor  Gymnasium  for  Men.  A  second  notable  feature  is 
the  athletic  field  and  gymnasium  for  men.  This  is  also  surrounded,  as  are 
each  of  the  features  of  the  playground,  by  a  high  fence  of  sharp  iron  pickets. 
This  field  is  surrounded  by  what  they  claim  is  the  best  running  track  in 
the  world  and  which  is  certainly  among  the  best.  The  outdoor  gymnasium 
is  large  and  complete,  with  every  detail  of  outdoor  gymnasium  equipment. 
There  is  a  separate  place  for  each  field  event,  such  as  putting  the  shot,  the 
high  and  broad  jump,  pole  vaulting,  etc. 

Not  far  from  this  is  the  outdoor  gymnasium  for  women  and  girls, 
which  is  similarly  equipped  but  smaller,  and  with  more  features  intended 
for  play  rather  than  systematic  exercise. 

7.  Playground  for  Small  Children.  A  fourth  feature  is  the  play- 
ground for  small  children,  also  surrounded  with  a  high  iron  fence,  and 
equipped  with  all  the  most  improved  forms  of  playground  apparatus.  In 
the  center  is  a  good  sized  wading  pool.  Running  nearly  around  this  is  a 
concrete  sand  bin  often  as  much  as  150  feet  in  length  and  15  feet  in  width. 


THE    RECREATION    PARKS    OF    CHICAGO 


73 


NATURE'S    SUMMER   OCCUPATION    FOR    CHILDREN 

It  is  covered  with  an  awning.  Around  this  on  a  concrete  platform  runs 
a  concrete  seat  for  mothers  who  come  to  put  their  children  in  the  sand  while 
they  sit  on  the  bench  and  sew,  or  read  or  watch  the  children. 

8.  Outdoor  Swimming  Pool.  The  outdoor  swimming  pool  is  the 
most  popular  feature  of  the  whole  playground  during  the  summer  months. 
It  is  a  concrete  pond  a  little  less  than  a  half  an  acre  in  size  and  ranging 
from  three  to  eight  feet  in  depth.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  beach  of  white  sand 
in  which  the  bathers  burrow  and  bask  as  they  do  on  the  sea  shore.  Around 
this  are  some  two  or  three  hundred  bathing  booths.  The  gateway  into  the 
pool  is  through  a  shower  house  containing  some  ten  or  fifteen  showers, 
through  which  everyone  is  required  to  pass  in  going  into  the  pool.  Just 
outside  are  the  waiting  benches  where  about  200  people  are  usually  collected 
during  the  middle  of  the  day  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  go  into  the  pool. 
Each  group  of  bathers  is  given  an  hour,  and  then,  at  the  sound  of  the  gong, 
they  leave  the  pool  and  another  set  of  bathers  take  possession  of  it.  The 
park  furnishes  bathing  suits,  towels  and  soap.  It  is  open  four  days  a  week 
for  men  and  two  days  for  women  and  children.  The  pool  is  lighted  by 
electric  lights  and  is  open  until  9:30  every  evening.  The  attendance  ranges 
between  500  and  1500  daily. 

9.  Field  Houses.  The  most  notable  and  distinctive  feature  of 
these  new  parks,  however,  is  the  field  house.  These  field  houses  cost  about 
$90,000  apiece.  The  material  used  in  nine  out  of  ten  buildings  is  concrete 
and  the  roofs  are  green  mottled  tiles.  The  approach  is  by  a  broad  flight  of 
steps  extending  almost  the  whole  length  of  the  building.  On  entering  one 
is  struck  by  the  magnificent  color  scheme  and  the  wonderful  harmonies  of 
the  reds,  browns,  greens  and  blues  and  other  colors  which  have  been  used 


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THE  RECREATION  PARKS  OF  CHICAGO 


75 


THE   SWIMMING   POOL 


in  the  decoration.  The  broad  entrance  hall  contains  a  circular  rack  of 
potted  plants  which  enlivens  the  interior  and  reminds  one  that  he  is  in  a 
park  At  one  side  of  the  entrance  is  a  restaurant  or  lunch  room  at  which 
such  small  refreshments  as  soups,  sandwiches,  coffee,  ice  cream  and  pie 
are  served.  All  of  these  viands  are  sold  at  cost.  A  five-cent  dish  of  ice  cream 
which  is  made  by  the  park  department,  is  said  to  be  the  best  ice  cream  in 
Chicago  and  is  certainly  delicious.  So  excellent  is  this  simple  lunch  room 
that  many  working  people  in  the  vicinity  are  now  going  there  for  their 
lunches  in  place  of  going  to  other  restaurants.  The  settlement  workers 
say  that  they  are  having  a  strong  influence  against  the  saloons;  that  the 
people  find  it  a  pleasant  place  to  come  and  sit  down  and  have  a  cup  of 
coffee  or  a  dish  of  ice  cream,  and  that  the  attractive  surroundings  give  it 
advantages  over  the  saloons. 

10.  Branch  of  Public  Library.  On  the  other  side  of  the  entrance, 
in  a  number  of  buildings,  is  a  branch  of  the  Chicago  public  library.  All  of 
these  libraries  are  used  to  the  fullest  extent  and  the  Chicago  librarian, 
Mr.  Hurt,  says  that  the  one  criticism  which  he  has  is  that  the  rooms  are  not 
large  enough  to  hold  the  people  who  wish  to  make  use  of  them.  I  can  testify 
for  my  own  part  that  in  the  libraries  which  I  visited  there  was  scarcely  a 
vacant  seat. 

11.  Indoor  Gymnasium  for  Men.  At  one  end  of  the  building  is  a 
gvmnasium  for  men.  This  is  completely  equipped  with  the  best  modern 
apparatus,  so  arranged  that  the  apparatus  goes  up  on  pulleys  to  the  ceiling, 
thus  leaving  a- clear  floor  for  games  of  basketball,  indoor  baseball,  etc. 
Just  off  from  this  are  the  best  steel  lockers  which  can  be  had,  five  or  six 
shower  baths,  and  a  plunge  pool  usually  about  15  to  -20  feet  in  length. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  building  there  is  exactly  the  same  equipment 
for  women. 


76 


PLAYGROUND    TK(  UNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


THE    FIELD    HOUSE 
Sherman  Park 


12.  Auditorium  and  Club  Rooms.  Sometimes  on  the  ground  floor, 
but  more  often  on  the  second  floor,  is  a  large  auditorium  with  movable  chairs 
which  is  used  for  public  lectures  or  public  meetings  of  any  kind,  or  for 
dances  or  social  gatherings.  One  of  the  greatest  perils  of  South  Chicago, 
as  of  most  cities,  is  its  dance  halls.  These  halls  are  generally  connected 
with  saloons  and  often  with  Turkish  or  Russian  baths  as  well.  The  South 
Park  System  is  offering  to  the  people  a  clean,  attractive,  well-lighted  hall 
which  may  be  used  for  any  neighborhood  purpose  where  the  best  influences 
prevail.  They  have  already  done  much  to  lessen  the  use  of  the  surround- 
ing dance  halls,  and  it  is  hoped  that  they  will  soon  be  able  to  close  many 
of  them.    Off  from  the  auditorium  are  four  or  five  club  rooms. 

A  notable  feature  about  the  use  of  the  new  parks,  and  especially  the 
field  houses,  is  that  the  ones  in  the  better  sections  of  the  city  are  most  used. 
In  Hamilton  Park,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  professional  and  business 
population  of  men  who  are  supposed  to  earn  from  two  to  five  thousand 
dollars  a  year,  all  of  the  features  of  the  field  house  are  now  used  almost 
to  their  full  capacity. 

13.  Supervision  and  Maintenance.  The  keeping  of  this  system 
is  fully  up  to  the  level  of  the  plan  itself.  Every  part  of  it  is  faultlessly  clean. 
Every  piece  of  apparatus  is  tested  every  morning  before  the  children  are 
allowed  in.  During  the  summer  time  there  are  from  fourteen  to  twenty 
attendants  in  every  one  of  these  playground  parks.  There  are  three  life 
savers  at  the  swimming  pools.  There  is  one  who  has  charge  of  the  shower- 
bath  house  and  several  attendants  at  the  bathing  booths  themselves.  There 
are  three  janitors,  and  a  force  of  three  or  four  men  who  mark  out  the  running 


Till:    UFX'REATION    PARKS    OF    CHICAGO 


77 


tracks,  tennis  courts,  care  for  the  approaches,  etc.  There  is  a  manager 
in  charge  of  the  building.  Gymnasium  instructors  from  May  to  November 
have  charge  of  the  outdoor  gymnasium  and  fields,  and  from  November 
until  May  they  have  charge  of  the  indoor  gymnasiums.  The  hours  are  from 
2 :00  to  9:30  in  summer  and  from  3 :30  to  9 :30  in  winter.  All  of  these  instruc- 
tors are  a  high  type  of  men  and  women,  most  of  them  being  college  graduates. 
They  are  receiving,  at  present,  $1,100  a  year.  Every  part  of  the  playground 
is  open  until  9 :30  at  night.  On  Sundays  there  is  a  special  director  who  is  an 
assistant  to  the  regular  athletic  director  and  who  takes  charge  of  the  work 
on  that  day. 

If  one  may  venture  a  criticism  of  this  truly  magnificent  system,  it  is 
that  the  children's  playgrounds  are  much  in  need  of  kindergartens,  and 
that,  as  in  many  cities,  there  is  great  scarcity  of  well-trained  and  experi- 
enced social  organizers.  (Chicago  is  now  taking  steps  to  remedy  this 
need. — Editor.) 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  Chicago  appreciates  its  new 
system  of  playgrounds.  The  attendance  has  doubled  every  year  to  date. 
$6,000,000  for  improvement  has  been  voted  Chicago  since  the  first  parks 
were  completed,  and  the  new  parks  are  to  be  made  larger  and  better  than 
those  now  finished. 

Note — See  "Recent  Developments  in  Chicago,"  E.  B.  De  Groot,  Proceedings,  190S. 


m^s^m^  ift^g^j^.:/v>-i 


ARMOUR   SQUARE 
A  typical  recreation  park 


CHAPTER  XI 

Playgrounds  Down  en  the  Blue  Grass 
"in  old  kaintuck" 

Madeline  McDowell  Breckenridge 

The  playgrounds  of  Lexington  present  some  very  unique  features.  The  one  in  which  they  are 
absolutely  unique  we  think  is  that  a  system  of  parks  has  been  created  as  the  result  of  establishing 
playgrounds.  Mrs.  Desha  Breckenridge  who  has  been  the  inspiration  and  the  motive  force  tells  us 
about  the  movement. — Editor. 

The  first  playground  in  Lexington  was  started  in  the  summer  of  1901 
in  the  section  of  the  city  known  as  Irishtown.  It  was  a  typical  Kentucky 
playground,  located  in  the  shadow  of  a  distillery,  and  attended  before  the 
close  of  the  season  with  many  stormy  incidents.  The  first  superintendent 
resigned  his  job  in  a  few  weeks.  He  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
neighborhood  was  not  "healthy"  for  him.  The  second  superintendent,  a 
college  athlete,  got  along  famously  until  the  father  of  a  large  bov,  whom  he 
had  picked  out  of  a  scrimmage  with  some  little  boys  and  put  off  the  grounds, 
vowed  vengeance.  This  father  was  known  as  a  bad  man.  He  had  pre- 
viously killed  his  man  and  escaped  the  penitentiary.  Discretion  on  the 
part  of  the  supervisor  seemed  the  better  part  of  valor;  but  the  committee 
concluded  that  the  moral  effect  on  Irishtown  of  another  supervisor  resigning 
would  be  disastrous.  They  employed  an  assistant  supervisor  who  was  in 
reality  a  deputy  sheriff.  The  two  young  men  hunted  in  pairs,  going  to  and 
from  Irishtown  always  together  and  letting  it  be  known  by  way  of  a  peace 
argument  that  their  hip  pockets  were  equipped  in  true  Kentucky  fashion. 

The  playground  committee  with  this  first  year's  experience  had  not 
only  every  problem  that  may  arise  in  running  a  playground,  but  it  had 
gotten  immediately  into  the  midst  of  the  whole  Sunday  question.  When, 
the  second  year,  the  piece  of  property  on  which  the  playground  had  been 
held  was  offered  for  sale,  an  old  saloon  man  across  the  street  bought  it  and 
refused  even  to  rent  to  the  playground  people.  He  did  not  like  their  in- 
fluence in  Irishtown  and  he  thought  he  was  getting  rid  of  them.  But  a  slip 
of  a  house  was  found  with  a  tiny  yard,  and  a  vacation  school  with  a  little 
children's  playground  in  the  yard  was  conducted.  It  may  be  mentioned 
here  that  there  had  been  no  public  school  in  this  section  of  the  town.  The 
playground  committee  induced  the  school  board  that  autumn  to  start  a 
kindergarten  that  has  grown  into  a  school  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  pupils 
and  that  will  be  much  larger  when  the  new  school  building  is  erected. 
The  school  board  has  appropriated  $10,000  for  this  building  and  an  effort 
is  being  made  by  the  Civic  League  to  raise  $20,000  on  the  outside.  It  is 
planned  that  the  building  shall  contain  a  carpenter  shop,  a  kitchen,  a  laun- 
dry, shower  baths,  an  assembly  room,  and  if  possible  a  swimming  pool  and 

78 


PLAYGROUNDS    DOWN    IN   THE    BLUE    GRASS  79 

accommodations  for  library  and  club  rooms.  The  baths,  the  wash  tubs, 
the  auditorium,  etc.,  are  to  be  used  by  the  adults  of  the  community  out  of 
school  hours;  and  if  the  plans  of  the  Civic  League  are  carried  out  the  school 
house  will  become  virtually  the  social  settlement  house  of  that  community. 

When,  the  second  summer,  the  playground  of  Irishtown  was  turned 
into  a  vacation  school,  another  playground  was  started  on  what  is  known 
as  the  city  dump,  a  piece  of  land  which  the  city  was  fast  selling  off,  the 
remnant  of  which  the  Civic  League  hoped  in  this  way  to  preserve  for  park 
purposes.  It  succeeded,  and  that  land  is  now  planned  as  a  beautiful  little 
interior  playground  with  swimming  pool,  shelter  house,  etc.  The  third 
summer  the  Civic  League  placed  a  third  playground  on  what  is  now  Wood- 
land Park,  a  piece  of  laud  which  it  desired  the  city  to  buy  as  a  park.  This 
has  happened.  The  park  with  its  splendid  old  trees  has  been  put  in  order 
and  beautified  and  is  being  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  people.  *  *  * 

The  first  year  the  playground  was  supported  by  the  Civic  League  and 
the  Woman's  Club,  or  rather  by  private  subscriptions  collected  by  them. 
The  second  year  the  Civic  League  assumed  the  expenses,  the  Woman's 
Club  contributing  in  some  measure.  The  third  year  a  city  appropriation 
was  obtained,  and  now  the  $800.00  annually  paid  over  by  the  city  to  the 
Civic  League  for  the  maintenance  of  the  playgrounds  is  supplemented 
simply  from  private  sources. 

It  is  perhaps  not  too  much  to  claim  that  three  important  things  have 
grown  out  of  the  little  playground  work  started  in  Irishtown  in  the  summer 
of  1901.  The  creation  of  a  Park  Commission  and  the  embryonic  park 
system  which  Lexington  now  has  are  in  a  large  measure  the  result  of  the 
playground  movement  and  the  agitation  kept  up  by  the  Civic  League 
through  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  newspapers.  The  introduction  of 
manual  training  into  all  the  public  schools,  white  and  colored,  of  Lexington 
is  one  outgrowth  of  the  humble  work  started  in  Irishtown  and  of  the  con- 
tinual  pressure  and  agitation  of  the  Civic  League.  The  system  is  not  yet 
complete  as  the  school  board  has  not  been  able  to  equip  all  the  school 
buildings  for  cooking  and  wood  work,  but  it  has  been  started  on  the  right 
principle  and  some  hand  work  is  given  to  both  races  and  both  sexes  in  every 
grade  from  the  kindergarten  through  the  high  school.  And  last,  but  not 
least,  the  model  school  planned  for  Irishtown.  or  rather  for  the  whole  sec- 
tion of  the  city  known  as  the  West  End,  which  embodies  the  very  newest 
ideas  as  to  the  function  of  the  public  school  will,  if  consummated,  be  a  step 
very  far  in  advance.  It  will  have  its  effect  not  only  on  the  school  system 
of  Lexington,  but  on  the  schools  of  this  whole  section  of  the  state. 


"However  difficult  it  may  be  to  interpret  America  to  the 
recent  arrivals  from  other  countries;  however  difficult  it  may 
be  to  unite  our  adult  population  on  public  issues  of  the  day 
affecting  the  common  weal,  they  may  be  unified  most  easily 
on  those  things  which  affect  the  interests  of  children.  And 
the  children's  playgrounds  not  only  help  in  unifying  our  adult 
population,  but  they  interpret  fundamental  American  ideals 
to  all  concerned.  The  central  ideal  in  America  is  that  we 
are  self-governed  people.  We  are  governed  by  laws  made  by 
our  own  people,  and  we  appoint  officials  to  enforce  the  laws. 
But  the  best  and  most  patriotic  citizenship  comes  not  as  a 
result  of  compelling  obedience  to  and  respect  for  laws,  but  as 
a  result  of  the  practice  of  right  ethical  relations  with  each 
other,  no  matter  what  races,  nationalities  or  classes  are  in- 
volved. This  is  the  spirit  of  the  playgrounds  as  expressed  in 
the  plan  of  play  and  games  which  teach  self-control  and  self- 
government." — E.  B.  De  Groot. 


80 


PART  III 

CONSTRUCTION 


CHAPTER  XII 

Construction  Methods 
A.     Grades  and  Drainage 

1.  The  First  "Work.  If  there  are  buildings  on  the  grounds  they 
must  be  removed.  This  can  usually  be  done  by  some  wrecking  company 
who  will  buv  them.  If  you  wish  to  use  the  materials  for  other  buildings  it 
would  be  better  to  have  it  done  under  your  own  auspices. 

The  city  engineer's  office  will  give  a  plan  of  the  land  showing  the  exact 
size,  grades  of  the  streets,  general  city  specifications,  etc. 

Also  from  the  city  engineer's  office  may  be  obtained  other  information 
which  would  be  valuable,  as  follows: 

Established  grades  of  streets  at  all  corners. 

Established  grades  of  property  line  on  all  corners  of  the  playgrounds,  and  the  established 

grades  of  property  hues  on  property  exactly  across  the  street  from  these  corners. 
Actual  grades  in  the  same  places. 

From  the  city  engineer  also  obtain  information  as  to  the  probability  of 

bringing  those  streets  up  to  grade  in  the  near  future  (the  established  grades 

in  all  cities  are  usually  much  higher  than  the  actual  grades,  and  it  is  quite 

the  custom  after  houses  have  been  built  on  the  hills  to  lower  the  grades 

because  the  people  who  have  secured  houses  on  the  hills  do  not  want  dirt 

dug  out  from  under  them.)     The  land  secured  for  playgrounds  will  usually 

be  below  grade. 

Secure  from  the  water  department  the  following  information: 
Exact  location  of  water  connections. 
Size  of  main. 
Depth  of  water  main. 

Size  and  location  of  outlets.     (Also  "work"  them  for  all  the  second-hand  pipe  you  can 
get,  as  it  is  good  for  fences.) 

From  the  sewer  department  get  the  following  information: 
Location  of  sewers. 

Depth  of  sewers  below  actual  grade  and  below  established  grade. 
Size  of  pipes. 

Location  and  size  of  outlets. 
Also  city  specifications  for  making  catch  basins  and  sewers. 

2.  Drainage.  If  the  land  is  much  below  grade  and  filling  is  scarce, 
it  can  be  made  a  sunken  garden  with  catch  basins  and  sewer  connections 
so  that  it  drains  to  the  center.  If  it  is  on  a  side  hill,  it  should  be  graded  so 
that  the  gymnasium  and  space  for  children's  games  is  level.  The  baseball 
diamond  and  running  track  should  be  one  to  two  feet  below  the  rest  of  the 
grounds,  sloping  at  a  grade  of  four  inches  to  a  hundred  feet  to  a  point 
near  the  center  just  outside  the  infield  of  the  baseball  diamond,  where  a 
catch  basin  is  located  and  connected  with  the  sewer.  The  manhole  should 
have  two  covers,  one  to  drain  the  field  in  the  summer  time  and  the  other 
without  holes  to  be  used  when  the  field  is  flooded. 

After  the  land  has  been  graded,  a  water  system  should  be  installed. 

82 


CONSTRUCTION    METHODS 


83 


3.  Specifications  for  Brick  Meter  Box: 

Meter  l)o\'  must  he  constructed  of  .sewer  brick  according  to  the  specifications  for  brick 
work  of  the  Hoard  of  Public  Works. 

The  inside  measurements  of  the  box  must  be  seven  feet  (7  ft.)  in  depth,  four  feet  (4  ft.) 
long  and  three  and  one-half  feet  i.'JA  ft.)  wide  at  the  bottom,  extending  upward  the  same  size 
to  a  height  of  lour  feet  (4  ft.)  from  which  point  the  box  should  be  drawn  together  so  as  to  be 
covered  by  a  two  foot  (L2  ft.)  manhole  and  cover. 
Two  iron  pipes  or  rods  at  least  one  and  one-quar- 
ter inches  (1J  in.)  in  diameter  shall  be  inserted  in 
the  brick  work  at  a  height  of  four  feel  1  ft.)  from 
the  bottom  as  indicated  in  the  plan.  Two  other 
rods  for  steps  shall  be  inserted  in  the  brick  work 
as  indicated  in  the  plan.  The  manhole  cover  ^hall 
be  cast  solid  and  shall  have  a  hole  drilled  near  the 
center  through  which  a  one  ami  one-half  inch  (H 
in.)  eye  bolt  shall  be  inserted.  Through  theflanges 
of  the  manhole  top  two  (2)  eye  bolts  shall  be  in- 
serted with  one  and  one-half  inch  (l\  in.)  eyes 
coming  just  above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The 
bolt  from  the  top  of  the  flange  to  the  surface  of  the 
ground  shall  be  imbedded  in  concrete.  All  eye  bolts 
must  be  made  of  iron  at  least  one-half  inch  Q  in.) 
in  diameter.  The  bottom  of  the  box  shall  be  made 
of  concrete.  A  one  and  one-half  inch  (H  in.)  lead 
water  pipe  shall  be  connected  and  extended  from 
the  city  water  main  at  the  property  line  into  the 
meter  box  and  a  one  and  one-half  inch  (1£  in.) 
gal.  pipe  shall  extend  through  with  the  necessary 
connections  to  a  distance  of  one  foot  beyond  the 
other  side  of  the  box,  from  which  point  a  gal.  iron 
stand  pipe  one  and  one-half  inches  (H  in.)  in  di- 
ameter shall  extend  to  a  height  of  eighteen  inches 
(18  in.)  above  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  shall 
have  at  the  ends  a  connection  for  a  one  and  one- 
half  inch  (1£  in.)  hose,  water  to  be  turned  on  and 
oh"  with  a  key.  Inside  the  water  box  the  construc- 
tion shall  be  as  follows:  An  automatic  drip  valve 
and  shut-off  shall  be  placed  on  one  side  of  the 
meter  and  a  tee  with  a  plug  in  the  end  of  it 
shall  be  placed  on  the  other  side;  beyond  this  an  automatic  drip  valve  shall  be  placed 
which  may  be  opened  and  closed  by  an  iron  rod  extending  to  the  top  of  the  box.  Outside 
of  this  shall  be  placed  a  one  and  one-half  by  one  and  one-half  by  seven-eighths  (H  x  1$  x  I) 
reducing  tee  with  a  plug  in  the  end  of  it.  All  connections  and  fittings  to  be  of  malleable 
iron  and  placed  as  indicated  in  the  appended  plan  and  all  work  to  be  done  in  a  thoroughly 
workmanship  manner,  and  finished  not  later  than 

4.  Water  System.  The  water  system  can  be  either  a  gravity  system 
which  is  the  cheapest,  or  it  may  be  the  system  which  is  usually  used  in  parks, 
with  the  pipes  all  below  the  freezing  line.  The  latter  system  is  more  satis- 
factory but  the  other  is  somewhat  cheaper  and  answers  the  purpose.  There 
should  be  provision  made  for  flooding  the  skating  rink;  the  plan  above 
with  specifications  shows  the  method  which  we  have  used  in  St.  Paul. 
We  made  no  provision  in  this  for  connection  with  the  sewer  which  was  a  bad 
mistake.  There  should  be  inserted  in  the  specifications  provision  for  a 
cesspool  trap,  and  very  small  connection  with  the  sewer.  This  meter  box 
can  have  the  top  filled  with  hay  above  the  planks  in  the  winter  time  so  that 
the  water  can  be  turned  on  and  oft'  without  danger  of  freezing. 

Street  washers  should  be  placed  about  one  hundred  feet  apart  over 
the  space  which  is  to  be  watered.     It  is  not  convenient  to  handle  much 


PLAN  OF  BRICK  METER  BOX 
Used  in  St.  Paul 


84  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 

over  fifty  feet  of  hose.  Care  should  be  taken  and  not  have  any  of  the 
street  washers  project  above  the  surface  of  the  baseball  field  as  they 
will  cause  accidents.  They  can  sometimes  be  placed  below  the  surface 
in  a  box  which  will  have  a  sod  on  top,  so  that  it  will  not  hurt  any  one  if 
they  fall  upon  it. 

5.  Retaining  a  Slope.  Good  sod,  of  course,  is  the  best  thing  for 
retaining  a  slope,  but  it  is  quite  expensive.  A  bank  one  and  one-half  by 
one  can  be  planted  with  grass  but  it  is  quite  apt  to  wash.  For  a  very  steep 
or  a  very  long  slope  where  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  have  a  velvet 
surface  alfalfa  can  be  planted,  in  sections  where  it  will  grow.  In  other 
parts  of  the  country  red  clover  might  be  used.  Both  of  these  plants  have 
extremely  long  roots.  A  lawn  mixture  in  which  clover  predominates  is 
the  best  for  use  on  an  embankment.  Where  there  is  not  sufficient  room 
for  a  slope  a  concrete  retaining  wall  may  be  used,  but  it  is  expensive. 

B.     Playing  Surfaces 

1.  Running  Track.  There  are  three  kinds  of  running  tracks 
which  may  be  used. 

a.  The  cinder  track  which  should  be  made  as  follows:  There  should 
be  a  bed  of  dirt  or  small  stones,  a  layer  of  sod  placed  edgewise  on  this;  over 
this  should  be  placed  a  layer  of  coarse  cinders  four  to  six  inches  deep,  and 
on  top  of  this  a  layer  of  fine  cinders  which  have  been  screened  through  a 
one-half  inch  screen  should  be  spread  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches. 
The  whole  surface  should  be  thoroughly  rolled  with  a  heavy  roller.  A 
cinder  track  is  very  hard  to  keep  in  shape. 

b.  Clay.  Place  clay  on  top  of  soil  or  dirt.  This  is  apt  to  be  pretty 
muddy  for  playground  use. 

c.  The  best  track  which  we  know  of  is  a  mixture  of  cinders  and  clay 
made  as  follows : 

Three  or  four  inches  of  coarse  cinders,  well  packed  and  covered  with  one  inch  of  cinders 
which  have  been  run  through  a  half-inch  screen  will  make  a  hard  surface  over  a  sandy 
bottom.  If  equal  parts  of  screened  cinders  and  good  clay  are  mixed  together,  dampened, 
spread  one  inch  thick  over  a  layer  of  coarse  cinders  and  well  rolled,  an  ideal  playing  surface 
will  be  made  for  the  athletic  field,  the  running  track  or  any  part  of  the  playground;  such  a 
mixture  packs  well,  is  springy,  does  not  get  dusty  in  dry  weather  and  can  be  played  on 
in  the  ram. 

2.  Baseball  Diamond.  For  the  baseball  field  a  good  closely 
cropped  turf  is  best,  and  is  quite  practicable  if  the  playground  is  of  sufficient 
size  and  not  in  a  very  thickly  settled  part  of  the  city.  The  base  lines  should 
be  cut  out  and  made  with  cinders  and  clay.  If  the  baseball  diamond  is  to 
be  used  extensively  it  should  be  made  entirely  of  cinders  and  clay.  This 
treatment  for  running  tracks  and  baseball  diamond  also  applies  to  the 
hockey  field  and  skating  rink. 

In  some  places  sand  and  clay  can  be  used  to  a  better  advantage  than 
cinders  and  clay,  as  follows:  About  2  parts  of  coarse  sand  and  1  part  of 
good  clay  mixed;  this  is  especially  valuable  for  running  tracks  and  walks. 


CONSTRUCTION    METHODS  85 

In  the  Chicago  playgrounds  they  are  using  a  mixture  of  clay  and  cinders 
and  on  top  they  are  putting  a  layer  of  very  coarse  sand  sometimes  called 
binding  sand  or  torpedo  sand. 

Cinders  will  often  be  hauled  to  the  {(round  for  nothing  in  the  winter  and  dumped  in 
place.  Get  from  hotels,  factories  and  lighting  plants.  Are  often  used  for  concrete  in  the 
building  season,  hence  expensive. 

3.  Under  Swings.  The  swings  must  have  very  hard  surfaces  under 
them  or  in  a  few  days  great  holes  will  be  worn  in  the  ground  to  fill  with 
water  every  time  it  rains.  We  have  used  a  strip  of  cement  sidewalk  about 
three  feet  wide  which  works  like  a  charm.  It  is  so  narrow  that  if  the  chil- 
dren fall  out  of  the  swings  they  fall  beyond  the  sidewalk. 

4.  Under  Giant  Strides.  The  giant  stride  is  subject  to  the  same 
condition  of  use  which  applies  to  the  swing.  We  have  settled  this  problem  in 
two  ways.  We  placed  around  one  giant  stride  a  bed  of  screened  cinders  and 
clay,  equal  parts  mixed  and  spread  to  a  depth  of  eight  inches.  This  worked 
admirably  on  a  hard  soil  for  a  foundation.  In  case  the  subsoil  is  sandy 
we  would  suggest  that  a  bed  of  coarse  cinders  about  eight  inches  deep  be 
put  underneath  the  top  dressing.  Another  treatment  which  we  used  was 
to  make  a  concrete  runway  about  3  feet  wide  entirely  around  the  giant 
stride.  This  was  placed  just  where  the  children  would  run  on  it.  It  had 
a  big  hole  in  the  center  which  was  filled  with  soft  sand  and  the  space  outside 
of  the  runway  was  also  filled  with  sand.  The  runway  itself  was  placed  on 
an  incline.  This  seemed  to  answer  the  purpose  very  well,  but  the  cinders 
and  clay  treatment  seemed  to  give  as  good  results  at  less  cost. 

5.  Under  See-saws.  The  space  under  the  see-saws  should  be  filled 
with  soft  sand  to  a  depth  of  about  six  to  ten  inches.  This  can  be  kept  in 
place  by  means  of  narrow  cement  curbing  or  planks,  which  should  be 
placed  at  least  four  feet  from  the  ends  of  the  see-saws. 

6.  Under  Flying  Dutchman.  The  runway  around  the  post  should 
be  a  circle  6  feet  in  diameter  made  of  cinders  and  clay,  or  of  concrete. 
The  one  who  runs  around  and  furnishes  power  for  the  flying  Dutch- 
man will  run  on  this  runway  which  should  be  on  a  slant.  Outside  of 
this  extending  around  a  distance  of  four  feet  bevond  the  flving  dutchman 
should  be  placed  a  small  curbing  and  the  space  between  filled  with  soft  sand. 

7.  Under  Gymnasium.  The  surface  under  the  gymnasium  appa- 
ratus should  be  of  sand  eight  to  ten  inches  deep.  This  should  be  kept  in 
place  by  a  retaining  curb  or  plank  allowing  three  feet  of  space  outside  of  all 
apparatus.  The  only  exception  to  this  would  be  under  the  trick  rings, 
which  should  have  a  hard  dirt  surface  directly  under  them  in  order  to  enable 
the  children  to  swing  by  striking  with  their  feet.  This  surface,  however, 
should  be  cinders  and  clay  and  not  concrete. 

8.  Basketball  Court.  The  basketball  court  requires  a  very  hard 
surface.     Cement   would    be   best   but  would    be   rather  expensive.     We 


8G  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

used  cinders  and  clay  in  the  proportion  before  mentioned  hut  would  suggest 
that  it  would  be  better  to  use  two  parts  of  clay  to  one  part  of  cinders  for 
the  toj)  dressing. 

J).  Tennis  Courts.  Tennis  courts  should  have  a  drainage  founda- 
tion of  coarse  cinders  4  to  G  inches  deep,  well  packed  and  rolled  after  being 
dampened.  This  drainage  foundation  should  lead  off  on  a  slope  in  several 
places  so  as  to  cany  away  surplus  water.  On  top  of  the  coarse  cinders 
spread  fine  cinders  mixed  with  clay,  2  parts  clay  to  1  part  cinders,  level  and 
then  roll.  In  order  to  keep  the  horse  off  the  tennis  court  hitch  a  long  rope 
to  the  handle  of  the  roller  so  that  he  can  do  all  the  rolling  from  the  outside 
without  stepping  on  the  court. 

The  clay  which  we  have  always  used  was  yellow  molding  clay  but  we 
should  judge  that  common  gray  or  blue  clay  would  answer  the  purpose 
just  as  well.  It  would  not,  however,  be  quite  so  sticky  perhaps  and  we 
would  advise  you  before  using  any  clays  to  mix  up  a  small  amount  and  test. 

In  the  west  the  common  adobe  soil  answers  the  purpose  of  clay  but  is 
not  quite  so  sticky  and  would  probably  require  a  little  larger  proportion 
to  the  cinders. 

In  a  very  dry  country  we  would  recommend  that  the  proportion  of  clay 
be  increased  and  that  salt  should  be  mixed  with  the  surfacing  to  conserve 
the  moisture. 

We  have  always  done  the  mixing  by  hand  but  should  judge  that  it 
could  be  put  in  a  concrete  mixer  or  it  might  be  necessary  to  make  a  special 
mixer. 

10.  For  Games.  Grass  is  without  question  the  best  surface  on 
which  to  play  games,  and  it  can  be  maintained  under  certain  conditions. 
Our  experience  in  Louisville  was  as  follows.  We  had  a  plot  of  grass  in 
the  center  of  the  park  which  was  about  seventy-five  yards  across.  We  al- 
lowed the  children  to  play  on  this  grass  six  hours  per  day  while  the  play 
instructors  were  there.  After  the  six  hours  had  expired  they  were  kept  off 
and  the  park  keepers  tenderly  watered  the  surface  and  kept  it  in  shape. 

For  three  months  this  playground  had  an  average  attendance  of  425 
children  who  played  on  this  grass  all  the  time,  basketball,  baseball,  hockey, 
races  and  all  manner  of  games.  At  the  end  of  the  season  the  grass  was 
a  little  bit  brown  around  the  bases  and  the  runs  which  we  had  not  treated 
in  any  special  manner.  In  a  few  other  places  especially  under  the  trees 
it  was  slightly  worn.    This  was  in  an  especially  dry  summer. 

In  order  to  maintain  grass  the  ground  must  be  covered  with  about 
eight  inches  of  black  dirt. 

11.  Dancing.  Grass  also  makes  the  best  surface  for  dancing,  and 
should  be  used  whenever  possible.  A  little  separate  green  could  be  very 
well  reserved  for  this  purpose.  In  this  connection  we  have  considered 
the  possibility  of  making  a  combination  skating  rink  and  dancing  pavilion. 
This  could  be  made  of  concrete  so  that  in  the  winter  time  it  could  be  flooded 
for  ice  skating  and  in  the  summer  time  it  could  be  used  for  roller  skating 


CONSTRUCTION    METHODS 


S? 


BASEBALL    DIAMOND,  TRIANGLE    PARK 
Louisville 

and  for  dancing.     It  should  have  a  roof  and  the  sides  could  be  covered 
with  vines.    Summer  gymnasium  classes  could  also  be  given  in  this  pavilion. 

12.  Artistic  Tennis  Courts.  Tennis  courts,  on  account  of  the 
back  stops  used,  are  generally  an  eye  sore  in  any  park.  The  treatment 
used  in  Hartford,  which  consists  of  running  vines  over  them,  makes  a  very 
artistic  feature.  The  vines  used  can  be  Virginia  creeper,  woodbine,  Ivundz 
vine,  or  annuals  such  as  morning-glory  and  wild  cucumber.    (See  page  1-2-2. ) 

13.  Swimming  Pools.  The  construction  of  swimming  pools  is  best 
taken  up  in  the  little  book  as  follows: 

♦Swimming  Pools.  By  John  K.  Allen.  63  pp.  50  cents.  Chicago.  Domestic  Engineering, 
1907. 

This  little  handbook  outlines  briefly  the  construction  of  swimming  pools;  their  mechanical  in- 
stallation, water  supply,  heating  the  water,  various  types  of  installations  adapted  to  different  condi- 
tions, with  thirty  illustrations  and  charts. 

More  than  half  the  book  is  devoted  to  the  discussion  of  methods  of  heating  and  modes  of  cal- 
culation of  the  amount  of  heat  required.  The  section  discussing  various  safe  methods  of  construction 
is  equally  valuable  as  it  abounds  in  accurate  information  as  to  adaptability  of  materials,  errors  to 
be  avoided,  etc. 

In  brief,  this  compact  little  book  may  be  characterized  as  filled  with  accurate  technical  informa- 
tion on  Swimming  Pools.  No  public  library  should  be  without  it,  and  no  one  planning  to  build  a 
natatorium  should  fail  to  read  it  before  making  any  plans  for  construction. 

A  recent  patent  on  a  method  for  securing  surface  drainage  for  swimming  pools  has  just 
been  awarded.  The  ideal  surface  drain  is  one  extending  entirely  around  the  tank,  without 
a  break  at  the  normal  water  level.  When  such  a  drain  is  not  provided  the  dirt  is  washed 
against  the  walls -of  the  tank  and  the  grease  and  scum  have  to  be  scrubbed  off.  This  new 
method  obviates  the  difficulty  and  the  rounded  edge  serves  as  a  life  rail  in  place  of  the  metal 
rail  usually  in  use.  A  manufacturing  firm  is  prepared  to  install  such  a  combined  life  rail 
and  gutter. — {Editor.) 

♦The  July  number  of  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education  contained  valuable  articles  relating  to 
natatoriums. 


W.39tMvt, 


PLAN  OF  NORTH  DENVER  PLAYGROUND 

88 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  North  Denver  Playground* 

Arthur  Leland 
Playground  Architect 

1.  Improvements  Completed.  This  Denver  playground  presents 
a  problem  in  playground  engineering,  the  successful  solution  of  which 
makes  possible  the  utilization  of  odds  and  ends  of  land  for  playgrounds, 
which  are  below  grade  and  unsuitable  for  building  purposes.  The  block 
used  for  this  playground  lies  on  two  slopes  sidling  both  ways,  with  the  lowest 
part  at  the  corner  of  W.  39th  avenue  and  Navajo  street,  where  the  actual 
grade  of  the  property  is  eighteen  feet  to  twenty  feet  below  the  established 
jrrade  and  three  or  four  feet  below  the  actual  grade  of  the  before-mentioned 
streets  which  are  unimproved.  The  property  line  at  the  corners  of  W.  38th 
with  Osage  and  Navajo  streets  is  practically  the  established  grade  and 
somewhat  above  the  established  grades  of  the  streets. 

Baseball  in  this  part  of  the  city  is  the  only  game  interesting  the  boys. 
The  field  is  so  small  that  grading  on  two  levels  left  no  room  for  baseball, 
so  a  grade  was  selected  which  would  utilize  all  of  the  available  dirt,  making 
the  grounds  practically  level  and  not  too  far  below  the  grades  which  would 
obtain  if  the  ungraded  streets  were  improved.  When  the  street  improve- 
ments are  made,  the  corner  of  W.  39th  and  Navajo  will  be  about  three  feet 
below  the  street.  It  now  is,  after  grading  the  field  level,  about  ten  feet 
above  the  present  grade  of  the  streets,  on  an  average.  In  order  to  hold  the 
soil  where  the  grounds  are  above  the  present  grades,  slopes  were  made,  in 
some  places  eighteen  feet  high.  These  banks  were  sowed  thickly  with 
alfalfa  and  the  long  roots  serve  to  keep  the  soil  from  washing,  thus  saving 
the  expense  of  a  retaining  wall. 

When  all  the  streets  are  improved,  these  banks  will  be  entirely  filled 
and  a  slope  made  leading  from  the  surfaces  of  the  playground  to  the  edge 
of  the  street,  so  that  the  places  now  above  actual  grade  will  then  be  some- 
what below  the  established  grade. 

The  entire  surface  drains  to  the  center  of  the  athletic  field,  where  a 
catch  basin  can  be  made  directly  over  the  sewerage  system  already  installed. 

During  the  first  four  months  of  the  time  I  was  in  Denver,  the  grounds 
were  graded  level;  the  border  of  trees  planted,  consisting  of  white  maples 
with  Carolina  poplars  alternating  on  the  south  and  west  sides.  A  gym- 
nasium frame,  purchased  and  erected  by  my  predecessor,  was  taken  down 
and  reset  in  the  proper  place.  Girls'  swings,  see-saws,  baby  swings,  giant 
strides,  were  manufactured  and  erected  according  to  the  plan.     A  merry-go- 

♦Reprinted  from  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education,  April,  1909. 

89 


90 


IM.AYOHOIND    TK<  UNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


round  and  slide  were  installed  later.  A  fenee  ^'ith  iron  pipe  posts  and  wire 
netting  surmounted  with  barbed  wire  was  erected  around  the  entire  play- 
ground. 

2.  Improvements  Projected.  The  plan  calls  for  the  following 
additional  improvements:  cinder  and  clay  walk  and  12-lap  to  the  mile 
running  track   laid  outside  of  athletic  and  baseball  field.     A  border  of 

grass  to  be  made  around 
the  edges  of  this  track  with 
shrubbery  grouped  in 
places  indicated.  A  drink- 
ing fountain  to  be  installed 


^  t 


».',  *& 


f   4tf'i    * 


n 


HOME    MADE    MERRY-GO-ROUND 


with  vine-covered  wire 
screen  to  protect  it  from 
the  baseball  field. 

Connecting  the  athletic 
field  to  the  projected  field 
house  is  to  be  a  small  con- 
crete arch  bridging  the 
wading  and  swimming 
pool.  *A  high  wire  fence 
covered  with  vines  and 
acting  as  a  backstop  and 
screen  will  keep  baseballs 
from  entering  the  girls'  playground  and  the  boys'  gymnasium.  A  hedge 
around  the  girls'  playground  will  act  as  a  screen  to  insure  seclusion.  Climb- 
ing vines  will  be  planted  next  to  the  fence  around  the  entire  playground. 
Shrubbery  and  trees  for  shade  complete  the  interior  landscaping  projected. 
A  water  system  must  be  installed,  then  the  vines  and  shrubs  are  put  in,  and 
temporary  toilet  accommodations  must  be  put  in  to  serve  until  other  Denver 
playgrounds  are  partially  developed,  when  a  permanent  bath  house  and 
gymnasium  with  outdoor  wading  and  swimming  pools  can  be  constructed. 
As  soon  as  the  surrounding  streets  are  graded,  boulevards  and  street 
lines  of  trees,  not  indicated  in  the  plan,  will  be  planted. 

The  improvements  completed  were  put  in  at  an  expense  of  $2,000  to 
$3,000,  most  of  which  sum  was  spent  on  grading.  The  land  cost  $7,500  and 
the  value  of  this  land  was  assessed  upon  property  in  the  district  benefited. 

This  is  the  first  playground  in  Denver  to  be  made  on  land  owned  by 
the  city.  Denver  has  maintained  in  addition,  a  playground  on  leased  land 
and  is  now  expending  over  $250,000  on  sites  for  new  playgrounds. 

For  Recent  Developments  in  Denver  see  Volume  II,  XXV  (C). 


♦This  could  well  be  extended  around  two  sides  of  the  athletic  field  in  order  to  protect  those  not 
playing  baseball. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

The  Evolution  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  Playgrounds 

Arthur  Leland  and  Lorna  Higbee  Leland 
Pla 1 1 (j rou n d  A rch itects 

1.  First  Attempts.  The  present  playground  movement  in  St.  Paul 
had  its  beginning  in  a  parlor  conference  held  by  the  Associated  Charities. 
As  a  result  of  the  interest  shown  at  this  meeting,  two  playgrounds  were 
equipped  with  funds  raised  by  subscription.  One  of  these  was  carried 
on  in  connection  with  a  social  settlement  and  was  quite  successful,  but 
was  abandoned  in  a  year  or  two  on  account  of  the  land  being  required  for 
other  purposes.  The  other  playground  was  a  decided  failure  on  account  of 
lack  of  supervision,  and  as  it  became  a  crime  breeder,  it  was  dismantled. 

2.  Public  Baths  and  Playgrounds.  Realizing  the  need  of  play- 
grounds and  baths  in  that  part  of  the  city  in  which  this  unsuccessful  play- 
ground was  located,  Dr.  J.  H.  Ohage,  the  Health  Commissioner,  saw 
possibilities  in  an  island  in  the  Mississippi  about  eight  or  ten  acres  in  extent. 
This  island  he  purchased  and  equipped  as  a  public  bath  and  playground, 
along  distinctively  German  traditions.  Harriet  Island  was  later  turned  over  . 
to  the  city,  improved  and  maintained  by  it  during  warm  weather  under  the 
supervision  of  the  Health  Department.  "The  Public  Baths"  have  always 
been  a  very  valuable  feature  in  St.  Paul's  recreative  life. 

3.  The  Present  Movement.  The  members  of  the  Civic  League 
under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  Conde  Hamlin,  feeling  that  the  Public  Baths 
did  not  reach  all  parts  of  the  city  and  were  limited  in  scope,  met  with  the 
officers  of  The  Commercial  Club  and  organized  in  October,  1903,  a  Joint 
Playground  Committee  as  follows: 

Representing  the  Civic  League:     *Mrs.  Wm.   E.  Bramhall,  Mrs.  Alex.  Barclay,  Mrs. 
W.  E.  Howard. 

Representing  the  Commercial  <  Hub:    Frederick  G.  Bradbury,  Secretary,  Paul  N.  Myers, 
Treasurer,  Bishop  II.  Schriber. 

Frederick  Nussbaumer,  Superintendent  of  Public  Parks. 

Arthur  W.  Dunning,  M.D.,  Chairman.    Each  one  of  this  committee  was  also  a  member 
of  a  larger  committee  in  each  organization. 

Profiting  by  the  inauspicious  beginnings  of  the  two  small  playgrounds, 
they  decided  that  the  enterprise  should  be  a  municipal  one,  and  following 
this  idea,  the  committee  appeared  before  the  City  Conference  Committee 
and  received  an  appropriation  of  $2,500  for  the  purpose  of  starting  a  system 
of  public  playgrounds. 

4.  Hwv-  Land  Was  Secured.  The  city  owned  an  old  haymarket 
site  125  x  300  feet  in  area,  comprising  half  of  a  small  block.  This  site  was 
turned  over  to  the  Committee  to  be  used  as  a  playground. 

♦Replacing  Mrs.  Hamlin  who  went  to  Chicago  to  engage  in  philanthropic  work. 

91 


< 
o 

H 
P 

Q 

K 
O 


c3 


92 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  ST.  PAUL  PLAYGROUNDS 


93 


5.  Supervision.  From  previous  experience,  having  determined 
that  supervision  was  the  most  valuable  feature  to  successful  playground 
operation,  the  committee  secured  a  trained  supervisor. 


COMO   A\ZEA/UE  PL/KYGROUA/D 
ST.    P/KUL^M  /A/AJ. 

A  rth  u  r  L  e.  t  art  d, 

■Super-  v/*  •  f 


When  the  work  of  construction  was  definitely  outlined,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  City  Council  had  turned  over  to  the  Playground  Committee, 
the  land  on  which  the  city  engineer  had  his  storehouse  and  lumber  yard. 
It  was  impossible  to  use  the  ground  for  both  purposes  or  to  dislodge  the 
engineer;  furthermore  the  piece  of  land  was  entirely  too  small  and  the  rest 
of  the  block  being  built  up,  there  was  absolutely  no  chance  for  enlargement. 


94  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 

The  situation  is  shown  by  the  accompanying  plan  of  the  Corao  Avenue  Playground, 
I  tt  being  the  haymarkel  site  and  (5)  the  city  engineer's  storeyard  (page  93). 

After  investigating  the  adjacent  vacant  lots,  two  triangles  of  land  were  discovered,  (1) 
and  (2)  in  the  plan.  These  had  been  purchased  by  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  in  order 
to  secure  frontage  lor  the  proposed  boulevarding  of  Como  Avenue.  A  plan  showing  possi- 
bilities for  playground  development  of  these  triangles,  which  called  for  the  alteration  of  the 
intervening  streets,  and  exchange  of  block  4  for  block  5,  also  vacant,  was  prepared  and 
submitted  to  the  Superintendent  of  Parks. 

The  Superintendent  had  no  objection  to  the  use  of  this  land  provided 
no  permanent  improvements  were  included.  As  the  plan  called  for  perman- 
ent improvements,  the  matter  was  not  presented  to  the  Park  Board  until 
the  Chairman  of  the  Park  Commission  and  creator  of  St.  Paul  Parks, 
the  late  Hon.  J.  A.  Wheelock,  returned  to  the  city  from  a  health  trip.  The 
matter  was  immediately  submitted  to  him  and  received  his  heartiest  com- 
mendation. In  fact,  he  said,  "I  bought  those  pieces  of  land  for  a  play- 
ground." Each  member  of  the  Park  Board  was  visited  with  the  plan  and 
they  authorized  the  use  of  the  land  in  question  as  a  playground. 

One  of  the  hardest  problems  of  the  year  was  the  exchange  of  plot  4  for  plot  3  as  each 
lot  in  3  was  owned  by  different  people.  A  special  appropriation  was  secured  to  make  the 
engineer's  yard  .smaller  and  finally  the  exchange  was  effected  without  cost  to  the  city. 

6.  Grading,  Landscape  Gardening  and  Buildings. 

About  1300  loads  of  filling  and  ^00  loads  of  loam  were  hauled  in,  bringing  triangle 
l2  up  to  grade.  The  borders  were  sodded  and  the  edges  seeded;  15  elm  trees,  90  lilacs 
and  30  buckthorns  were  planted  around  the  border,  suggestive  of  a  hedge,  which  was  to  be 
made  by  rilling  in  the  interspaces  when  more  money  could  be  secured.  The  grading  and 
landscape  gardening  was  done  at  a  cost  of  $457.'-29.  A  small  playhouse,  as  shown  in  the 
illustrations,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $815.04.  The  floor  plan  of  this  is  seen  on  page  96  and 
the  elevation  opposite.  The  superstructure  is  of  wood  with  shingled  roof  and  drop  siding. 
The  outside  is  painted  a  dark  bronze  green,  with  lighter  bronze  green  trimmings.  The 
windows  are  large  with  diamond  panes  and  red  sashes.  (We  do  not  recommend  red  sashes 
for  the  red  excites  the  boys,  so  that  they  try  and  see  how  near  they  can  come  to  the  sashes 
with  slinjj;  shots.) 

The  inside  walls  show  the  planed  siding  and  studding  which  are  stained  dark  green. 
A  cement  floor  33  x  35  feet  serves  as  a  foundation  to  the  building  and  also  as  a  veranda,  en- 
closed within  which  are  the  sand  boxes.  The  overhanging  roof  gives  partial  protection  from 
sun  and  storm. 

The  building  is  divided  into  a  large  central  play  room  1(5  x  16  feet  (which,  owing  to 
lack  of  other  storage  room  was  used  at  night  for  the  storage  of  apparatus).  At  each  side  of 
the  play  room  are  toilet  rooms  for  the  boys  and  for  the  girls,  each  with  shower  bath  and 
drinking  water. 

7.  Play  Equipment.  The  facilities  for  play  included  sand  boxes, 
illustrated  on  page  97,  a  giant  stride,  a  gymnasium  frame  made  of  old 
bridge  beams,  illustrated  on  page  99,  a  set  of  9  swings  on  iron  pipe 
frames,  illustrated  on  page  98,  a  Flying  Dutchman,  illustrated  on  page 
91,  a  steel  horizontal  and  vaulting  bar,  a  pair  of  basketball  goals,  a 
pair  of  parallel  bars.  Triangle  1  was  used  as  a  baseball  diamond.  The 
entire  cost  of  this  gymnasium  apparatus  and  athletic  supplies  was  $179.40, 
(it  is  needless  to  say  that  the  work  was  home  made  and  that  most  of  it  was 
done  by  the  supervisor  with  the  assistance  of  the  children).  However, 
the  quality  of  most  of  the  equipment  was  good,  and  most  of  it  is  still  in  use 
after  six  years'  time. 


95 


96 


PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


8.  Opening  Day.  The  city  officials  and  council  were  invited  to  the 
dedication  exercises  and  the  playground  was  thrown  open  to  the  children. 
The  Commercial  Club  was  there.  The  Street  Railway  Company  furnished 
a  special  car.  The  ladies  of  the  Civic  League  served  lunch  and  St.  Paul's 
Model  Playground  was  a  reality. 


FLOOR    PLAN    OF    SHELTER    HOUSE 
St.  Paul 


9.  Playground  Benefit  Baseball  Game.  Toward  the  latter 
part  of  the  year,  our  $2,500  appropriation  was  rapidly  diminishing  and  the 
Commercial  Club  arranged  a  benefit  baseball  game  to  be  played  with  the 
Town  and  Countrv  Club.  This,  too,  was  an  excellent  advertising  feature 
and  for  two  weeks  the  newspapers  boomed  the  playground  benefit  game. 
Incidentally  we  netted  $400. 

10.  Charter  Amendment.  By  an  act  of  the  Minnesota  legislature 
passed  in  1899  and  1903,  the  judges  of  the  district  court  appoint  a  committee 
of  fifteen  freeholders  who  act  as  a  charter  commission  to  frame  and  submit 
to  popular  election  necessary  amendments  to  the  city  charter.  The  Play- 
ground Committee  went  before  this  commission  at  its  last  meeting  and 


THE    EVOLUTION    OF    ST.    PAUL   PLAYGROUNDS 


97 


secured  the  insertion  of  the  following  amendment  to  the  list  of  fourteen 
already  drafted  for  last  fall's  election: 

To  provide  and  maintain  public  playgrounds  and  places  of  recreation 
for  children  and  to  levy  the  necessary  tax  to  support  the  same,  not  exceeding 
in  any  one  year  the  sum  of  $10,000. 


SAND    BOXES    AND   BLOCKS    FOR   THE    LITTLE   ONES 

St.  Paul 


This  much  accomplished,  another  campaign  of  publicity  was  necessary, 
for  in  order  to  become  operative  each  amendment  required  three-fifths  of 
all  the  votes  cast  in  the  city.  Failure  to  vote  for  an  amendment  is  equal 
to  a  negative  vote. 

The  state  and  county  officers  were  to  be  elected;  some  amendments 
to  the  state  constitution,  besides  the  fifteen  charter  amendments,  were  to 
be  voted  upon  and  altogether  fifty  crosses  were  required  for  the  whole  ticket. 
The  chances" looked  dubious  for  the  measure  at  the  "tail-end  of  the  heap." 
Undaunted,  the  committee,  headed  by  its  Chairman,  Dr.  Dunning  of 
the  Commercial  Club  and  Mrs.  Bramhall,  President  of  the  Civic  League, 
took  up  the  task.  Its  amendment,  along  with  the  others,  was  considered 
by  the  ward  improvement  associations,  women's  clubs,  civic  associations, 


Q 


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98 


THE    EVOLUTION    OF    ST.    PAUL    PLAYGROUNDS 


99 


trade  unions  and  other  commercial  bodies.  The  Ministers'  Association 
took  it  up  and  some  of  the  members  preached  playgrounds  from  their  pul- 
pits. Letters  from  prominent  people  telling  the  value  of  playgrounds 
and  the  importance  of  the  playground  amendment  were  published.  Each 
of  the  papers  gave  us  editorial  space.  The  committee,  supervisor  and 
park  board  delivered  campaign  speeches. 


Healthful 
Exercise 
i  n  t  h  e 
Open  Air 

Away 

from    the 

streets 

and 
alleys; 
cars    and 
auto- 
mobiles 

Will    you 

give  us 

a  place  of 

our  own 

like     this 

? 


Waste  Bridge  Material  Converted  for  Use 
Total  cost  set  up  by  contract,  $65 

A    LEAF    FROM    THE    DODGER    USED    IN    THE    PLAYGROUND    CAMPAIGN 

St.  Paul 

11.  The  Children  Secure  Votes.  All  this  we  felt  was  falling 
short  of  accomplishment  and  it  was  decided  to  make  a  direct  appeal  to  the 
voters,  those  interested  in  the  2.5,000  school  children  in  the  city.  To  this 
intentfcirculars  and  dodgers  were  prepared  and  made  as  attractive  to  chil- 


100  PLAYGROl   \l'    ll  <  BNIQUE   AND    PLAYCRAFT 

dren  and  parents  as  we  could  devise.  Obtaining  permission  from  the  school 
board,  the  leaflets  Mere  given  out  by  the  teachers  to  the  children  with  instruc- 
tions to  take  them  home  to  fathers  and  big  brothers. 

Two  weeks  later  the  count  was  completed.  Only  six  of  the  fifteen 
amendments  passed  and  the  playground  measure  showed  a  margin  of 
seventeen  votes.  When  the  conference  committee  met  to  prepare  the  tax 
budget  they  gave  us  the  charter  limit  of  $10,000.  The  council  first  talked 
of  cutting  it  down  to  $2,500,  but  such  a  storm  of  protest  was  raised  that  the 
full  appropriation  passed. 

The  successful  passage  of  the  measure  was  attributed  to  the  campaign- 
ing of  the  children. 

12.  Publicity.  Of  course  the  most  effective  factor  in  securing  this 
favorable  public  sentiment  was  due  to  the  successful  playground  work 
inaugurated  and  to  the  publicity  given  the  playground  movement. 

Throughout  the  season  all  possible  use  was  made  of  the  daily  press. 
Editors  and  reporters  were  given  the  news  before  it  became  history.  During 
the  period  of  construction  the  different  papers  showed  the  progress  of  the 
work  by  means  of  half-tone  illustrations. 

Our  endeavor  was  always  to  keep  the  playgrounds  in  the  public  eye. 
An  incomplete  collection  of  local  press  clippings  shows  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three  items  as  to  playgrounds  published  during  the  first  six  months. 
Every  addition  to  our  equipment — every  game  played — every  plan  organized 
— everything,  having  any  advertising  value — was  used.  We  tried  to  treat 
the  papers  impartially  and  planned  to  reach  all  sorts  of  readers  by  having 
playground  news  appear  at  different  times  in  every  department.  In  fact, 
one  obliging  city  editor  said  he  would  "put  our  stuff  in  the  want  columns 
if  we  wished  it." 

In  addition  also  to  printed  matter  30  or  more  photographs  and  draw- 
ings together  with  6  cartoons  let  the  St.  Paul  people  know  that  there  was 
" something  doing"  all  the  time  on  the  public  playground. 

13.  Two  Baseball  Leagues  Organized.  In  order  to  make  use 
of  the  sporting  columns,  and  interest,  through  them,  all  parts  of  the  city, 
we  organized  a  city  baseball  league,  having  a  team  in  each  of  eight  differ- 
ent wards.  This,  with  another  league  of  teams  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
playground,  made  an  aggregate  of  sixteen  teams  who  played  some  weeks 
as  many  as  twenty  games.  Percentages  were  kept  and  the  leading  teams 
of  each  league  given  a  pennant  at  the  end  of  the  season.  Some  of  the 
wames  were  played  on  this  playground  and  some  were  played  on  vacant 
lots  in  various  parts  of  the  city. 

In  order  to  successfully  carry  on  the  press  work  and  organization  of 
games  the  supervisor  was  obliged  to  spend  most  of  his  time  away  from 
the  playground  which  seems  to  us  to  be  the  proper  place  for  a  general 
supervisor  to  spend  most  of  his  time. 


THE    EVOLUTION    OF    ST.-    P  UiL-  PL  AYG-ROLXt>S 


101 


14.  School  Teams.  The  children  in  the  Seheffer  School  were 
divided  into  three  sides,  the  reds,  whites  and  the  blues.  Each  division  had 
a  bov  and  a  girl  team  representing  each  grade.  Games  were  scheduled 
and  a  record  of  points  kept.  The  captains  of  each  side  were  elected  by- 
popular  vote  amid  wild  excitement.  By  making  scholarship  a  necessary 
qualification  to  playing  on  the  team  this  competition  can  be  a  great  help  to 
school  work.  One  of  the  teachers  said  that  already  she  had  noticed  a  more 
regular  attendance  on  the  part  of  some  boys. 

15.  Attexdaxce.  The  playground  was  kept  open  72|  days,  the 
average  attendance  being  for  the  mornings,  130;  afternoons,  235;  total,  365. 

16.  Fourth  of  July  Play  Festival.  The  Commercial  Club, 
through  its  Playground  Committee,  has  maintained  for  several  years  a 
Fourth  of  July  Play  Festival  at  the  Public  Baths.  The  supervisor  of  play- 
grounds was  a  member  of  this  committee  and  appointed  to  confer  with  the 
Superintendent  of  the  Public  Baths,  regarding  the  preparation  of  a  program 
of  sports.  Two  complete  programs  were  made,  one  set  of  programs  having 
for  prizes  gold  and  silver  medals,  while  baseball  bats,  gloves,  etc.,  were 
given  for  prizes  for  the  other  series  of  games. 

The  Commercial  Club  raised  some  over  $1,000.00  which  was  expended 
in  giving  the  children  a  "free  feed,"  bunches  of  small  fire-crackers  and  for 
music  and  fireworks. 

The  children  from  all  over  the  city  were  assembled  early  in  the  morning 
near  the  city  hall  and  marched  over  the  bridge,  down  to  Harriet  Island, 
where,  in  the  midst  of  the  river,  pandemonium  reigned  supreme. 


A   WRESTLING    MATCH 


102 


PLAYGROUND    TL'  UNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


Nothing  but  very  small  fire-crackers  and  harmless  noise  makers  were 
allowed  on  the  Island.  Any  one  transgressing  was  promptly  ejected.  The 
programs  of  athletic  and  aquatic  sports  kept  the  children  busy  and  they 
were  sent  home  early.  This  Fourth  of  July  Plav  Festival  seems  to  be  a 
happy  solution  of  what  to  do  with  the  children  on  our  great  National  Holi- 
day. Not  a  single  serious  accident  resulted  from  the  Fourth  of  July  cele- 
bration throughout  the  city,  which  is  now  an  annual  affair. 


KINDERGARTEN    GAMES    FOR   THE    LITTLE    ONES 

St.  Paul 


17.  Sources  of  St.  Paul's  Success.  In  summing  up  the  first 
year  of  playgrounds  in  St.  Paul,  during  which  by  far  the  most  valuable  work 
was  done,  I  should  say  that  their  keynote  of  success  was  the  cooperation 
of  a  great  number  of  interested  leagues,  clubs,  and  allied  associations. 
The  joint  committee  was   an  enthusiastic   body  representing   numerous 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  ST.  PAUL  PLAYGROUNDS  103 

allied  interests  and  the  supervisor  was  allowed  to  work  out  the  technical 
details  and  the  disposition  of  his  time  to  the  best  interests  of  the  play- 
grounds. 

The  Second  Year  of  St.  Paul's  Playgrounds 

After  the  Playground  Amendment  was  successfully  passed,  it  was 
found  that  no  provision  had  been  made  for  the  administration  of  the  play- 
grounds. By  a  Charter  provision,  St.  Paul  is  not  allowed  to  create  any  new 
board  or  commission,  or  any  salaried  official  thereof,  hence  the  playgrounds 
must  be  administered  by  some  board  already  in  existence. 

18.  Park  Board  and  Advisory  Playground  Committee.  As 
the  President  of  the  Park  Board  seemed  to  be  very  favorably  disposed  to 
playgrounds  it  was  thought  best  to  put  them  under  its  charge,  with  an 
advisory  committee  of  three  persons  to  advise  with  the  Board  of  Park  Com- 
missioners, on  all  matters  which  related  exclusively  to  Public  Playgrounds. 

The  mayor  appoints  annually  an  advisory  committee  to  act  on  play- 
grounds.  The  Park  Board  handles  the  accounts  and  appoints  a  supervisor 
who  devotes  all  his  time  to  the  supervision  and  technical  operation. 

The  mayor  was  given  full  authority  to  appoint  this  committee  and  it 
was  supposed  that  he  would  appoint  the  ones  who  had  done  the  work  on  the 
old  joint  committee. 

19.  Politics.  Unfortunately,  the  mayor  had  some  political  debts 
to  pav.  Two  or  three  different  men  were  offered  a  place  on  the  committee 
but  refused  to  accept.  Finally  two  were  secured,  but  while  these  were  very 
good  men  they  had  not  been  connected  with  the  other  committee  and 
so  were  entirely  inexperienced.  The  other  position  was  tendered  to  one  of 
the  ladies  of  the  Civic  League,  with  a  string  tied  to  it  that  if  she  did  not 
accept  it  would  be  offered  to  one  of  the  men  who  had  served  on  the  previous 
committees.  Naturally  she  did  not  care  to  accept  the  place.  As  a  result 
of  these  appointments  the  playground  movement  lost  both  the  backing  of 
the  Civic  League  and  the  Commercial  Club  and  the  advisory  committee  of 
three  had  absolutely  no  function  other  than  that  of  giving  advice. 

An  advisory  committee  without  official  powers  must  have  a  substantial 
backing  in  order  to  carry  weight.  The  work  the  second  year  consequentlv 
was  much  delayed  and  impeded  by  friction.  At  the  request  of  the  Park 
Board,  the  supervisor  gave  up  his  outside  excursions,  organizing  teams, 
etc.,  and  put  in  all  his  time  on  the  one  playground  until  the  latter  part  of 
the  summer  when  a  new  ground  was  opened.  Considerable  new  apparatus 
was  erected  at  the  Como  Avenue  Playground  including  two  giant  strides, 
a  set  of  baby  swings,  as  illustrated  in  Chapter  XXVI,  a  pair  of  parallel 
bars,  a  tennis  set,  and  jumping  standard. 

20.  Night  Playgrounds.  During  the  summer  the  playground  was 
opened  nights  and  two  persons  were  expected  to  carry  on  the  grounds  from 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  half  past  eight  at  night. 


lilt 


PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 


The  oighl  work  i^  very  valuable  as  it  gives  the  boys  and  girls  who  work 
daytimes  an  opportunity  to  use  the  grounds,  but  the  disciplinary  problems 
at  night  on  an  unfeneed  playground  are  verv  serious  ones.  It  is  absolutely 
impossible  for  two  people  to  keep  order  on  a  three  and  one-half  acre  play- 
ground and  at  the  same  time  carry  on  a  verv  highly  organized  system  of 
games.  Especially  is  this  true  when  those  same  teachers  have  been  actively 
at  work  in  the  playground  a  greater  part  of  the  day. 

About  the  middle  of  August  on  account  of  the  opening  of  a  new  play- 
ground another  assistant  was  secured  and  pending  the  delay  in  construction 
of  the  new  grounds,  he  was  utilized  for  a  short  time  at  the  Como  Avenue 
ground,  and  a  number  of  teams  as  well  as  classes  in  horizontal  bar,  parallel 
bar,  and  other  gymnastic  work  were  organized. 

21.  Showter  Baths.  The  shower  baths  proved  most  popular  in 
1905.  The  average  number  of  baths  taken  daily  was:  Boys,  56;  girls,  27; 
total,  83. 

The  two  shower  baths  were  worked  to  the  limit  of  their  capacity. 
Twice  the  number  of  baths  could  have  been  given  had  space  permitted. 


22.  Playground  Self- Government.  In  order  to  simplify  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  playground  the  children  were  formed  into  a  body  politic,  a 
miniature  municipality,  with  the  power  to  elect  their  own  officers  and  have 
a  say  in  the  making  and  enforcing  of  their  own  laws. 

One  enterprising  candidate  for  mayor  formed  his  own  party  and  got 
such  a  lead  that  no  one  else  dared  to  start  a  party.    It  was  also  said  that  he 

promised  political  jobs  to  the 
available  opposition  candidates 
in  addition  to  telling  them  that 
they  had  no  hopes  of  victory. 
After  some  encouragement  from 
the  supervisor  another  candidate 
was  found  and  a  party  formed 
to  support  him.  The  registra- 
tion commenced.  All  who  were 
over  eight  and  could  read  and 
write  were  allowed  to  vote. 

The  electioneering  was  spir- 
ited.   Ralph  McNellis,  the  citi- 
zens' candidate  for  mayor,  had 
some   cards    printed    after   the 
most  approved  municipal  fashion.     The    playground    shelter  house  was 
covered  with  posters.     The  election  was  by  secret  ballot  and  resulted  in 
a  victory  for  Sam  Longfellow,  the  candidate  for  the  playgrounds  party. 

The  election,  however,  was  the  main  thing,    There  never  seemed  to  be 
any  time  to  get  the  council  together,  they  were  all  too  busy  playing. 


ELECTION    DAY    AT    COMO    AVENUE    PLAYGROUND 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  ST.  PAUL  PLAYGROUNDS 


105 


OFFICERS    OF    COMO    AVENUE     PLAYGROUND    CITY 


We  tried  to  get  the  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  to  appropriate  a 
small  sum  of  money  to  the  Juvenile  City  and  have  the  children  in  return 
take  the  contract  for  cutting  the 
grass,  watering,  assisting  in  clean- 
ing the  grounds,  etc.,  which 
seemed  to  us  a  very  practical  way 
of  teaching  municipal  methods  of 
handling  money  and  the  working 
of  city  governments.  Incidentally 
the  care  of  the  grounds  could  be 
secured  more  cheaply  than  in  any 
other  way  and  the  plan  would 
give  the  juvenile  officials  some- 
thing to  do.  However,  this  plan 
did  not  appeal  to  the  park  board. 
I  hope  to  see  this  plan  wrorked 
in  some  city.    With  nothing  to  do, 

our  juvenile  officials  pined  and  died  officially.    Such  a  condition  does  not 
seem  so  unfavorable  to  more  mature  incumbents! 

23.  The  Playground  School  Athletic  League. 

For  a  description  of  the  activities  of  this  League  see  Volume  II. 

24.  From  Report  of  Superintendent  of  Parks.  'The  present 
organic  act  of  the  playground  management  is  one  of  the  most  unsatisfactory 
of  any  of  the  departments  of  the  city  government.  The  powers  of  the  play- 
ground committee  under  the  city  ordinance  confined  to  an  advisory  capacity, 
do  not  serve  as  a  stimulus  to  enthusiasm  in  their  work.  The  development 
and  care  of  the  playgrounds  should  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  aggressive 
men  and  women,  especially  fitted  for  and  interested  in  the  work,  with  suffi- 
cient authority  to  care  for,  provide,  and  equip  the  playgrounds  of  the  city 
outside  of  public  parks." 

The  purchase  of  a  tract  of  land  shown  in  plan  on  page  106  and  the 
installation  thereon  of  a  set  of  iron  pipe  swings,  see-saws,  as  per  illustration 
on  page  98,  giant  strides  with  a  very  small  amount  of  grading  completed 
the  improvements  for  the  second  year. 

25.  Fighting  the  Street  Railway  to  Save  the  Playground. 
People  who  know,  say  that  the  street  railway  in  St.  Paul  own  the  city  govern- 
ment. Early  in  the  winter  of  the  second  year,  the  street  railway  conceived 
the  idea  of  making  an  extension  and  laying  tracks  directly  through  the 
street  which  separates  the  two  larger  triangles  of  the  Como  Avenue  play- 
ground. Largely  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  George  F.  Fisher,  of  the  play- 
ground committee,  who  aroused  intense  opposition  to  the  scheme  among 
the  property  owners  in  that  part  of  the  city,  the  street  car  tracks  were  put 
through  on  an  adjoining  street,  thus  preserving  the  possibility  of  improving 
the  playground  ultimately,  according  to  the  plan  proposed. 


10(1 


PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAPT 

M1RYUN0  ST 


1Uft  LELBIUO 


ROSC  5T 


PLAN    OF    ARLINGTON    HILLS    PLAYGROUND 
St.  Paul 

1.     Elms.      2.     Lombardy  poplars.      3.     Buckthorn   hedge.     4.     Lilacs.     5.     Oaks.     6.     Willow 
hedge  and  wire  screen.     7.    Sewer.     8.    Water  pipes.     9.    Hose  bibs.      10.    Meter  box. 

26.  Playground  Extension.  Early  in  the  spring  of  the  third  year, 
the  work  of  improving  the  Arlington  Hills  Playground  according  to  plan 
above  was  commenced. 

This  ground  was  very  rough,  having  a  hole  where  some  street  car  barns 
formerly  stood.  The  ground  is  graded  level  with  the  exception  of  the 
baseball  diamond,  which  is  lowered  two  and  one-half  feet,  draining  to  the 
center  where  it  is  connected  with  the  sewer.  The  banks  on  the  sides  make 
possible  a  skating  rink  in  the  winter.  Outside  the  baseball  diamond  is  an 
eighth  of  a  mile  running  track;  then  a  grassy  slope  to  the  upper  level. 
The  borders  around  the  grounds  are  a  few  inches  higher  than  the  play 
space  and  covered  with  turf.  Lilacs  are  grouped  in  appropriate  places. 
Along  the  front  of  the  grounds  is  a  buckthorn  hedge,  while  one  side  has  a 
hedge  of  lilacs.  A  high  wire  fence  at  the  top  of  the  bank  around  the  running 
track  protects  those  using  the  playground  apparatus  from  the  batted  balls. 
This  provision  and  the  fact  that  the  baseball  diamond  is  much  lower  than 


THE    EVOLUTION    OF    ST.    PAUL    PLAYGROUNDS 


107 


the  rest  of  the  ground  makes  baseball  in  such  small  quarters  possible, 
course  the  ball  goes  out  into  the  street  quite  often. 


Of 


27.  Gymnastic  Equipment.  The  gymnastic  equipment  installed 
includes  2  giant  strides,  1  set  of  nine  iron  pipe  swings,  1  set  4  see-saws  with 
iron  pipe  frames,  1  iron  pipe  square  gymnasium  frame,  with  ladders,  hori- 
zontal bar,  climbing  poles,  climbing  ropes,  trick  rings,  etc. 


PLAN    OF    COMO    PARK    PLAYGROUND 
St.  Paul 


This  equipment  cost  about  $500. 

The  grading,  surfacing,  play  space  and  running  track  with  cinders  and 
clay  and  placing  concrete  under  swings  and  around  giant  strides  cost  about 
$2,500.    The  other  landscape  gardening  outlined  will  be  put  in  some  time. 

Another  playground  was  secured  by  exchanging  seven  lots  belonging 
to  the  city,  another  unused  haymarket  site,  and  purchase  of  the  remaining 
lots  in  the  block.  This,  when  improved,  will  make  the  largest  playground 
in  the  interior  of  the  city. 

The  same  plan  of  athletic  work  used  in  previous  years  was  carried  out 
earlv  in  the  winter  and  a  skating  rink  was  made  at  the  Arlington  Hills 
playground. 

After  I  was  called  to  a  larger  work  in  Denver,  the  physical  director  of 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  secured  to  devote  half  of  his  time  to  the  supervision 
of  the  playgrounds.     The  Park  Board  has  established,  under  the  direction 


108  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAY(  RAFT 

of  its  Superintendent,  a  Large  playground  in  one  of  the  outlying  parks,  and 
one  or  two  small  pieces  of  land  have  been  purchased  to  be  improved  as 
playgrounds. 

28.  Minnesota  State  Law.  The  State  of  Minnesota,  in  1909, 
passed  a  new  law  permitting  the  cities  of  Duluth,  Minneapolis,  and  St. 
Paul  to  issue  bonds  not  to  exceed  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the 
purchase  and  equipment  of  playgrounds.  These  bonds  are  distributed 
through  a  period  of  four  years,  twenty-five  thousand  being  available  each 
year.  St.  Paul  has  taken  advantage  of  this  and  will  spend  twenty-five  thou- 
sand immediately  for  the  purchase  and  improvement  of  two  new  play- 
grounds. 

The  following  statement  regarding  the  duties  of  playground  super- 
visors we  made  in  the  June  number  of  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education, 
page  34 1 : 

"In  order  to  successfully  carry  on  the  press  work  and  organization  of  games,  the  super- 
visor was  obliged  to  spend  most  of  his  time  away  from  the  playground,  which  seems  to  be 
unfortunate  as  the  playground  is  the  proper  place  for  a  supervisor  to  spend  most  of 
his  time." 

Lest  the  statement  should  be  misunderstood,  we  would  add  that  the  supervisor  of 
playgrounds,  especially  when  the  movement  is  young,  is  primarily  an  organizer,  promoter 
and  advertiser.  The  committee  says,  "Here  is  so  much  money;  make  and  run  a  play- 
ground system."  It  would  be  as  reasonable  to  expect  the  supervisor  of  playgrounds  to 
spend  his  time  on  the  playground  under  such  circumstances,  as  to  expect  a  superintendent 
of  schools  or  a  superintendent   of   parks   to   spend  his  time  in  any  one   school  or  park. 

A  playground  committee  or  association  made  up  of  social  workers  able  and  willing  to 
attend  to  executive  details,  including  publicity  and  outside  organization  of  sports  will  enable 
the  supervisor  to  devote  more  time  to  activities  on  the  playground. 

The  term,  Director  or  Superintendent  of  Playgrounds,  would  more  accurately  indicate 
the  place  of  the  head  of  the  playground  system. 

"Children  are  not  asking  for  playgrounds,"  and  the  supervisor  or  someone  must  go  out 
and  work  up  an  attendance.  "The  child  who  cannot  find  his  own  amusement  on  the  street 
isn't  worth  saving."  Competition  of  the  street  and  vacant  lot  in  a  medium-sized  city  makes 
playground  operation  difficult. 

To  create  public  sentiment  playgrounds  must  be  constantly  intruded  before  the  eyes 
of  the  people  by  the  public  press,  but  if  you  expect  the  press  itself  to  do  the  work  you  are 
seriously  mistaken.  The  work  devolves  on  the  director.  Most  boards  expect  the  supervisor 
to  attend  to  all  executive  details,  to  keep  the  playground  filled  with  children,  playing  under 
his  personal  supervision,  and  to  find  him  at  any  one  of  the  playgrounds  at  any  hour  of  the 
day.  Our  advice  is  to  have  the  expected  duties  defined  and  clearly  stated  in  a  contract 
to  prevent  any  misunderstanding. 


rxr 


CHAPTER  X\ 

An  Ideal  Development  for  a  Playground  ox  an  Irregular  Tract 
of  Land  Between  Five  and  Six  Acres  in  Extent* 

Lorn  a  Higbee  Lelaxd 
Playground  Architect  and  Organizer 

The  fullest  possible  utilization  of  a  piece  of  land  for  play  purposes  is 
not  in  anv  way  inconsistent  with  its  development  as  a  work  of  outdoor  art. 
In  preparing  this  plan  the  play  possibilities  have,  I  think,  been  developed 
to  the  fullest  extent  consistent  with  the  maintaining  of  landscape  beauty. 

1.  Grades.  The  lowest  grade  called  for  is  in  the  center  of  the  ath- 
letic field,  where  two  catch  basins  are  to  be  placed  for  drainage  of  the  left- 
hand  half  of  the  entire  playground.  The  running  track  and  100-yard 
straightaway  are  each  approximately  the  same  grade,  but  higher  than  the 
athletic  field,  so  that  they  drain  into  it.  In  winter  time  the  entire  surface 
of  the  athletic  field  and  running  tracks  is  to  be  flooded  for  skating  and  for 
coasting;  the  all-seasons  coast  being  conducted  down  the  shoot  and 
around  the  running  track,  ending  over  the  end  of  the  straightaway  running 
track,  making  a  coast  of  about  one-third  of  a  mile.  The  boys'  playground, 
the  borders  around  the  athletic  field,  and  the  borders  outside  the  athletic 
field  are  all  higher  than  these  other  two  grades. 

The  little  children's  playground  and  the  girls'  playground  will  be  graded 
at  still  another  level. 

The  space  taken  up  around  the  all-seasons  coast,  winter  coast,  neigh- 
borhood club  house,  dancing  green,  and  the  right-hand  side  of  the  girls' 
plavground  is  all  on  the  grade  given  by  following  the  natural  slope  of  the 
land.  Considerable  of  the  apparatus  in  the  girls'  playground  will  be  set 
up  on  a  slope,  the  peculiar  construction  of  this  apparatus  making  this 
possible. 

2.  Walks  and  Tracks.  The  main  entrance  to  the  grounds  and 
the  plaza  in  front  of  the  neighborhood  club  house  and  on  the  side  should 
be  of  concrete.  The  slope  of  the  walk  at  the  right-hand  side  of  the  club 
house  will  give  admirable  opportunity  for  roller  skating  and  small  wagon 
■coasting.  In  order  to  economize  space,  the  walk  and  irregular  one-quarter 
mile  running  track  are  combined  with  each  other.  This  and  the  100-yard 
straightaway  track  should  be  made  of  a  combination  of  clay  and  cinders, 
or  a  combination  of  clay  and  certain  kinds  of  sand  is  sometimes  cheaper 
and  nearly  as  efficient. 

*Reprinted  from  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education,  March,  1909. 

109 


110 


A  PLAYGROUND  ON  AN  IRREGULAR  TRACT  OF  LAND        111 

The  runways  for  jumping,  for  the  baseball  diamonds  and  playing  sur- 
faces for  boys',  little  children's  and  girls'  playgrounds  can  be  made  of  the 
same  material,  preferably  of  clay  and  cinders,  and  the  playground  surfaces 
should  have  a  larger  proportion  of  cinders  than  is  used  in  the  runways. 

3.  Fences.  The  entire  field  should  be  surrounded  by  a  fence,  the 
construction  of  which  will  depend  upon  the  amount  available  for  this  pur- 
pose. An  iron  picket  fence  is  best,  but  a  very  good  substitute  ean  be  made 
by  attaching  a  strong  fine  mesh  (not  more  than  2 ',-inch  opening  horizontally) 
field  fencing  attached  by  bolts  to  second  hand  1\  or  2-inch  iron  pipe.  This 
should  be  5  or  6  feet  high.  Above  this  and  very  close  to  it  should  be  sus- 
pended three  strands  of  hog  style  barbed  wire  fencing.    Chapter  XVII  (5) . 

There  should  be  a  fence  around  the  boys'  playground  and  around  the 
little  children's  and  the  girls'  playgrounds;  and  a  fence  around  the  running 
track  would  be  very  valuable  during  exhibit  games  and  meets,  but  could  be 
dispensed  with,  or  a  temporary  fence  could  be  made  by  setting  permanent 
posts  through  which  rope  could  be  run  whenever  competition  games  were 
to  be  held. 

4.  Landscape  Gardening.  The  entire  grounds  with  the  exception 
of  walks,  tracks,  boys',  little  children's  and  girls'  playgrounds,  as  well  as 
the  athletic  field  and  tennis  courts  should  be  covered  with  turf.  If  the 
playground  is  not  in  a  very  populous  district,  it  may  be  possible  to  maintain 
turf  on  the  athletic  field  and  girls'  playground  and  on  part  of  the  little  chil- 
dren's playground. 

The  plan  calls  for  the  planting  of  over  100  elms  and  about  50  Carolina 
poplars  together  with  some  other  trees  and  various  hardy  shrubs  which  are 
massed  in  corners. 

The  little  children's  and  girls'  playgrounds  should  be  surrounded  with 
a  high  growing  hedge  and  the  boys'  playground  should  be  surrounded  with 
a  thorn  hedge.  If  hedges  are  too  expensive  they  can  be  replaced  by  hardy 
annual  climbing  vines,  which  will  cover  the  fences  around  each  enclosure. 
The  fence  around  the  entire  ground  should  be  covered  with  hardy  vines  or 
with  annual  climbers  if  the  others  are  too  expensive.  The  little  children's 
playground  and  the  girls'  playground  should  be  separated  by  a  low  fence 
covered  with  sweet  peas.  The  walk  should  be  bridged  by  an  arched  trellis 
and  vines  should  be  trained  to  run  over  this  and  over  the  fence  concealing 
the  disagreeable  effect  of  the  sharp  corner,  where  the  walk  runs  near  the 
property  line. 

5.  Play  Facilities.  Mr.  Leland  has  assisted  me  in  developing  the 
various  pieces  of  play  equipment.  Only  those  pieces  of  apparatus  which 
we  have  proven  by  years  of  observation  as  play  directors,  to  be  most  valu- 
able and  interesting  to  the  children,  are  suggested.  The  opinions  and  ex- 
perience also  of  such  play  authorities  as  Doctor  Curtis,  Joseph   Lee  and 


LIS 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


Tl. 


others  have  been  consulted  in  this  study  of  play  equipment.  ne  details 
of  const  ruction,  and  liow  they  can  be  made  economically  by  home  labor  or 
local  contractors  will  be  dwelt  upon  later  (Chapters  XXV,  XXVI). 

Boys'     Playground.     Combination 


(i. 


swings 


and 


gymnasium, 


consisting  of  six  1 1  fool  swings,  two  pairs  trick  rings,  one  trapeze,  one  in- 
cline steel  ladder,  one  incline  steel  wire  cable  ladder,  two  pairs  incline  steel 
sliding  poles,  one  slide  for  life,  leading  to  teeter  ladder  frame,  one  horizontal 
bar. 

Teeter  ladder  frame  with  four  teeter  ladders  and  attachment  for  slide 
for  life. 

Volley  hall  and  basketball  courts. 

Tether  pole  tennis. 

Flying  Dutchman. 

(iiant  Stride. 

The  traveling  rings  are  planned  to  be  suspended  from  wire  cables 
stretched  from  the  top  of  the  climbing  pole  frame  to  another  support  on 
which  is  attached  one  of  the  basketball  screens.  This  is  a  new  piece  of 
apparatus  which  has  not  been  tested  as  yet  and  if  it  works  successfully, 
it  will  entirely  do  away  with  the  necessity  of  using  square,  iron  pipe  gym- 
nasium frames,  as  traveling  rings  are  the  only  pieces  of  apparatus  which 
cannot  successfully  be  attached  to  straight  line  frames.  Straight  line  frames 
are  more  economical  of  space  and  money  and  better  adapted  to  make 
possible  artistic  landscape  effects  than  square  frames. 


BASEBALL    BACK   STOP 


7.  Girls'  Playground.  The  girls  have  a  combination  gymnasium 
and  swing  frame  similar  to  the  boys  only  somewhat  lower  and  containing 
only  three  swings  and  four  teeter  ladders,  and  omitting  the  horizontal  bar, 
which  I  think  of  little  use  in  the  girls'  playground. 


A    PLAYGROUND    ON    AN    lliUKcn.AH    TRACT    OF    LAND 


US 


( riant  Stride. 
Tether  pole  tennis. 
Set  of  four  see-saws. 

Girls'  swings,  including  three  I  1  and  six  S  foot  swings. 
Basketball  goals  and  volley  court. 

Playground  slide  and  volley  coast  and  slide  and  dancing  green  com- 
plete the  equipment . 


*6    &" 


Joint  Bacon  Hntchings,  Architect 

NEIGHBORHOOD    CLUB    HOUSE 
Central  Park.  Louisville 

8.  Little  Children's  Playground.  The  little  children  have  a 
frame  with  two  8  foot  wood  seat  swings  and  eight  (>  foot  leather  scat  baby 
swings:  also  two  small  playground  slides  and  a  set  of  four  see-saws,  sand 
court  and  wading  pool  complete  the  equipment. 

!).  For  Boys  and  Men.  Athletic  field,  space  for  several  baseball 
diamonds,  full  sized,  and  field  hockey  field. 

10.  For  All.  Tennis  courts,  use  of  running  track  and  athletic 
held,  all-seasons  coast,  winter  coast.  A  very  good  handhall  court  can  lie 
developed  against  the  side  of  the  neighborhood  club  house. 

11.  Neighborhood  Club  House.  This  should  include  assembly 
hall,  club  rooms,  branch  of  public  library,  baths,  and  small  gymnasiums 
for  use  when  it  is  impossible  on  account  of  had  weather  to  use  the  outdoor 
play  facilities. 

12.  General  Remarks.  The  intention  in  this  suggestive  plan  of 
treatment  is  to  make  the  play  facilities  out-of-doors  so  attractive  both  summer 
and  winter  that  there  will  he  little  need  of  indoor  amusements  and  attrac- 


114  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

tions.  Unless  I  had  at  least  $50,000  to  $75,000  to  expend  on  this  ground 
exclusive  of  club  house,  I  should  not  include  a  more  elaborate  outdoor 
gymnasium  equipment.  Such  equipment  as  is  outlined  can  be  used  almost 
to  the  fullest  extent  of  its  possibilities  without  requiring  much  of  the  atten- 
tion of  the  director,  leaving  his  time  free  for  the  formation  of  athletic  fields, 
teaching  games,  etc.,  which  is  much  more  important  than  the  teaching  of 
gymnastic  stunts  from  a  social  and  moral  as  well  as  physical  standpoint. 

All  of  these  pieces  of  play  equipment,  with  the  exception  of  all-seasons 
coast,  roller  coast  and  slide  should  be  purchasable  ready  made  from  the 
machine  companies,  and  set  up  ready  for  use  for  about  $1,100  to  $1,200. 

They  can  be  made  by  local  contractors  from  proper  specifications  for 
this  sum  if  not  less.  Provided  such  a  plan  is  feasible,  wherever  there  is  a 
lack  of  financial  support,  frames  can  be  erected  by  local  contractors  and  the 
apparatus  to  attach  thereon  made  by  manual  training  students  of  the  public 
schools,  working  from  properly  prepared  plans,  or  in  case  of  extreme 
necessity  the  trades  union  people  may  be  induced  to  contribute  their  ser- 
vices in  erecting  the  frame,  providing  merchants'  associations  will  contribute 
materials. 

A  playground  in  Omaha,  Neb.,  was  equipped  in  this  way. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Landscape  Gardening 

1.  Trees. 

(a)  For  quick  shade,  the  Carolina  poplar  is  the  best  tree.  This 
should  be  planted  in  alternation  with  other  trees  which  grow  more  slowly 
and  which  live  longer,  such  as  elms  and  oaks.  White  maples  also  grow 
very  quickly  but  are  not  as  long  lived  as  oaks  and  elms. 

We  have  never  known  of  chestnut  being  used  for  playground  purposes 
but  think  it  would  be  admirable,  the  ripening  of  the  chestnuts  would  be  an 
never  ending  sort  of  delight.  The  chestnut,  however,  will  not  grow  in  soil 
where  lime  is  present. 

In  general,  trees  should  be  used  which  have  a  heavy  rough  bark,  and 
if  possible  those  with  low  branches  should  be  selected,  for  sometime,  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  they  will  grow  so  that  the  boys  can  build  a  playhouse  in  them. 

(b)  Trees  necessary  for  shade  as  well  as  beauty. 

(c)  Should  surround  also  each  separate  section  of  the  playground. 

(d)  In  Germany  they  surround  the  larger  playgrounds  with  several 
rows  of  trees,  thus  making  it  in  effect  a  glade  in  a  forest. 

2.  Grass. 

(a)     Grass  should  be  encouraged  wherever  possible. 

(6)  In  the  larger  playgrounds  all  the  chief  fields  should  be  covered 
with  grass. 

(c)  Even  in  the  smallest  grounds,  there  is  usually  some  strip  or  border 
where  grass  can  be  encouraged. 

3.  Flowers. 

(a)  The  larger  grounds  have  the  same  possibilities  as  the  parks, 
though  they  must  be  placed  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  activities. 

(b)  In  smaller  grounds,  flowers  may  be  put  around  the  flag  pole, 
and  about  the  buildings  and  fences.  The  children  may  be  encouraged 
to  tend  them. 

4.  Vines. 

(a)  The  use  of  vines  will  be  determined  by  the  nature  of  the  fences 
and  buildings. 

(6)  A  wire  fence  can  be  made  beautiful  with  morning-glory,  honey- 
suckle, cypress  or  thumburgia,  climbing  pea  or  scarlet  runner  vines. 

(c)  Virginia  creeper  will  cover  an  ugly  board  fence  so  as  to  make  it 
presentable. 

115 


11G  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    \M>    PLAYCRAFT 

i(/)  Wisteria,  Kundz  vine  and  ivy  will  cover  the  playground  buildings 
if  desired. 

u  )  Morning-glory  and  Kundz  vine  will  cover  the  trellises  at  the  toilets 
or  the  frame  over  the  sand  bin. 

.5.  Shrubs.  Aboui  the  best  shrub  to  use  on  playgrounds  is  the  lilac. 
It  is  perfectly  hardy,  will  grow  almost  anywhere,  and  the  more  it  is  picked 
and  maltreated  the  more  it  spreads  and  grows.  Forsvthia  is  valuable  for 
planting  along  the  side  of  walks.  Hawthorn,  deutzia.  dogwood,  bridal 
wreath,  roses,  sumach,  viburnum,  syringa,  weigelia,  snowball,  common 
and  Japanese,  are  all  suitable  for  playground  use.  By  having  the  children 
plant  the  seeds  and  grow  the  shrubs  a  playground  could  be  made  beautiful 
quite  easily.  We  would  suggest  that  the  children  be  encouraged  to  secure, 
transplant  and  tame  wild  shrubs.  (See  article  on  "  The  Play  Course  in 
Landscape  Gardening  and  Horticulture."  Chapter  XXIII). 

(a)      ( Jreat  possibilities  in  the  use  of  shrubbery  in  large  grounds. 
(6)     Very  restricted  use  in  small  grounds. 

(c)  It  is  very  desirable  that  the  girls'  playground  especially  should  be 
screened  from  public  gaze.  If  there  is  an  iron  picket  fence,  a  few  feet  of 
shrubbery  just  inside  it  will  serve  to  make  the  playground  exclusive. 

(d)  A  border  of  shrubbery  can  also  often  be  used  effectively  imme- 
diately  about  the  building. 

(5.  Rules  for  Landscape  Gardening.  It  is  impossible  to  make  a 
landscape  architect  by  means  of  writing  upon  the  subject  because  it  is  all 
or  largely  a  matter  of  composition.  Nature  is  the  best  teacher.  When 
trees,  plants,  shrubs  and  flowers  are  arranged  in  the  way  Mother  Nature 
does  it,  the  affect  cannot  help  being  artistic.  Landscape  gardening  is  used 
for  the  production  of  beautiful  pictures.  One  has  to  know  what  these  would 
be.  In  general  the  aim  should  be  to  conceal  all  unsightly  objects,  buildings, 
etc.,  and  to  bring  into  prominence  anything  of  beauty  such  as  a  distant 
church  spire,  a  hill  or  a  mountain.  It  would  be  well  to  let  the  children 
experiment  and  try  to  imitate  and  reproduce  beautiful  views  which  they 
may  see.  This  would  give  an  never  ending  source  of  interest  for  excursions 
into  the  country. 

7.     The  Use  of  Water. 

(a)  There  is  an  abundance  of  opportunity  for  water  landscape  effect 
in  the  large  playgrounds  through  the  use  of  lagoons  and  lakes. 

(b)  There  arc  usually  some  possibilities  from  the  wading  pool  and 
swimming  pool  in  the  smaller  playground. 

Wherever  possible,  the  landscape  value  of  water  should  be  made  use 
of.  Water  seems  to  have  an  effect  upon  our  subconscious  mind,  which  is 
very  valuable,  especially  in  the  noisy  city.  It  suggests  quiet,  peace,  repose 
and  coolness.  It  is  not  necessary  that  there  should  be  an  ocean  of  it  either. 
Perhaps  the  best  use  for  water  is  in  the  wailing  pool.     Wherever^possible, 


LANDSCAPE    GARDENING 


117 


the  traditional  form  of  the  wading  pool  should  be  altered.  Many  parks 
have  streams  running  through  which  might  he  utilized.  A  pool  could 
be  made  by  hollowing  out  a  place  in  the  natural  course  of  the  stream  and 
covering  the  bottom  with  rocks,  with  about  six  inches  to  a  foot  of  sand 
covering  them.  A  background  of  spruces*  would  give  tone  to  the  picture 
and  set  off  the  naturalistic  treatment.  Rushes,  water  grasses  and  wild  rice 
could  fringe  the  further  bank;  between  these  and  the  trees  quantities  of 
cardinal  Mowers  and  fringed  gentians  should  be  planted.  On  the  near 
side  of  the  wading  pool  is  an  appropriate  place  for  a  broad  sand  beach;  at 
the  small  end  of  the  pool  may  be  placed  an  immense  boulder  where  the 
children  may  play  "  Pilgrim  Fathers  Landing  on  Plymouth  Rock,"  etc. 
A  retaining  wall  in  the  rear  may  be  covered  with  Boston  ivy  which  grows 
from  the  ground  below  and  also  which  runs  down  from  the  street  above. 
This  is  applicable  where  the  brook  runs  through  a  culvert  under  a  street. 
Violets  and  other  plants  which  love  to  grow  beside  the  brook  may  be 
transplanted  here  and  taken  care  of  by  the  children. 


Courtesy  Geo.  A.  Parker. 


AUTISTIC   TENNIS    COURTS 
Hartford,  Conn. 


8.     Wading  Pools  for  School  Yards.     Mr.  Walter  Hardy  says  in 
regard  to  wading  pools:  "No  playground  is  complete  unless  it  affords  a 


♦Conifers  are  not  adapted  to  smoky    cities. 


US  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

chance  for  the  children  to  gel  their  feet  wet.  Twice  during  the  past  summer 
we  had  rains  heavy  enough  to  fill  a  low  spot  in  one  corner  of  our  playground 
with  water  which  remained  there  all  day.  Nothing  pleased  the  children 
more  than  to  wade  in  this  little  pool.  Even  big  girls  twelve  vears  old,  who 
at  first  thought  themselves  'too  big  to  go  barefooted,'  were  soon  in  with 
the  rest.  Following  the  suggestion  of  this  incident  and  the  plan  of  the  pools 
on  the  South  Park  playgrounds  of  Chicago.  I  believe  it  would  be  possible 
at  very  little  expense  to  have  a  wading  pool  on  even  a  school  yard  plav- 
ground.  A  man  with  team  and  scraper  could  soon  lower  a  basin  two  feet 
deep  and  sixteen  feet  square  which,  lined  with  cement  and  a  drain  in  the 
center,  could  be  filled  with  fresh  water  every  day." 

9.  Shade.  Shade  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  successful  conduct 
of  a  playground.  This  may  often  be  furnished  by  means  of  awnings  but 
it  is  our  opinion  that  landscape  gardening  and  the  use  of  trees  and  vines 
should  be  prominent.  The  sketch  on  next  page  shows  an  easy  method 
whereby  swings  may  be  shaded.  The  same  principle  may  be  applied  to 
other  features  of  apparatus.  Mr.  Walter  E.  Hardy,  speaking  of  shade  in 
an  article  in  Playgrounds,  says  in  part : 

10.  Playground  Conditions  Best  When  Like  Country.  "The 
most  ideal  conditions  for  freedom  of  play  are  to  be  found  in  the  country 
where  nature  offers  opportunities  that  harmonize  with  boy  nature — shade, 
grass  on  which  to  roll  and  tumble,  an  old  'swimmin'  hole,'  trees  in  which 
to  climb,  and  fields  where  he  may  run  and  romp.  Then  we  at  once  conclude 
that  city  playgrounds  should  conform  as  nearly  as  possible  to  natural  re- 
quirements. In  our  congested  city  population  the  lack  of  these  natural 
places  for  play  creates  the  need  for  artificial  playgrounds." 

11.  Shade  Absolutely  Necessary.  "Nearly  all  of  the  play 
centers  now  furnish  opportunities  for  climbing  and  running,  but  the  shade, 
grass,  and  water  are  lacking.  In  most  places  where  playgrounds  are 
started  as  experiments  by  private  donation,  in  order  to  get  them  centrally 
located,  they  are  opened  up  on  some  sun-baked  schoolyard,  with  possibly 
a  few7  scrawny  trees  around  the  outside,  no  water  near,  and  no  grass. 
Apparatus,  such  as  swings,  teeters,  ladders,  etc.,  and  a  bare,  heat-reflecting 
open  space  for  massed  games,  are  common  to  all  such  playgrounds  as  I 
have  seen.  Such  an  equipment  would  tax  the  ingenuity  of  the  most  re- 
sourceful director  to  hold  the  interest  of  the  children  during  the  hottest  days 
of  summer,  when  every  game  that  calls  for  violent  exercise  in  the  hot  sun 
is  sure  to  result  in  some  child  having  a  headache,  nose-bleed  or  sunstroke. 

"My  observations  have  been  that  the  shaded  apparatus  is  most  used 
by  the  children.  Swings  hanging  in  the  sun  on  our  playground  in  Kalama- 
zoo, Michigan,  last  summer,  remained  empty,  while  those  in  the  shade 
were  being  used.  As  soon  as  the  afternoon  shade  from  the  schoolhouse 
reached  the  hot,  empty  teeters  they  became  filled.  Sand  piles  in  the  open 
sun  dry  out  and  are  of  little  use.  The  largest  crowds  came  to  play  on  cloudy 
and  cool  days.     On  those  days  all  of  the  apparatus  was  in  constant  use, 


LANDSCAPE    GARDENING 


119 


LET   NATURE   FURNISH   SHADE 

besides  the  enthusiasm  that  was  shown  in  the  team  games,  story  hours  and 
quiet  circle  games,  all  of  which  goes  to  prove  that  playgrounds  should  be 
provided  with  plenty  of  shade.  If  trees  are  not  to  be  had,  tents  and  canvas 
coverings  will  serve  the  purpose,  and  should  be  placed  over  the  sand  piles 
and  apparatus,  in  part  at  least.  The  tents  appeal  to  the  child's  imagination 
and  may,  in  consequence,  be  put  to  various  uses.  A  piano,  if  one  is  provided, 
should  be  under  this  shaded  area,  to  be  used  in  many  of  the  games,  marches 
and  dances." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Fences  and  Hedges* 

1.  Reasons  for  Fencing  Playgrounds: 

(a)  Protection  of  the  trees,  flowers  and  shrubbery. 

(b)  Keeping  out  lawless  gangs  and  toughs,  and  helping  in  discipline. 

(c)  Protecting  the  girls  and  little  children  from  annoyance. 

(<•/)     The  protection  of  the  apparatus  and  preventing  the  congregation 
of  undesirables  on  the  playgrounds  at  night. 

The  question  is  often  asked  can 
a  playground  be  run  without  a  fence  ? 
In  answer  to  this,  we  would  say  that 
it  is  not  an  impossibility.  The  play- 
grounds of  St.  Paul  have  been  run 
without  fences  for  a  number  of 
vears.  This  is  the  way  we  did  it. 
All  the  apparatus  was  taken  in  at 
night.  Two  or  three  nights  a  week 
the  supervisor  had  his  assistant  go 
away  and  leave  him  in  the  build- 
ing, where  he  staved  until  children 
and  others  congregated.  When  a 
sufficient  crowd  had  assembled  the 
supervisor  appeared  and  sent  them 
home.  After  several  weeks  of  this 
the  children  got  the  idea  that  he 
lived  in  the  shanty,  so  that  it  was  not 
necessary  to  watch  it  closely.  We 
think  it  is  cheaper  to  have  a  fence. 
The  supervisor  has  more  important 
business  to  attend  to,  and  very  little 
dependence  can  be  placed  upon 
casual  visits  of  the  police.  WTe  never 
would  recommend  the  establishment 
of  an  unfenced  playground.  Aside 
from     the     maintenance    of     order 

there  is  a  psychological  value  to  a  fence  which  cannot  be  over-estimated. 

It    transforms   the  playground  from  the  vacant  lot  and    gives  something 

which  the  children  belong  to  so  that  the  maintenance  of  discipline  is  much 

easier. 


ARTISTIC    l'KNCE    POSTS 
(Chicago  small  parks) 


*See  Article  by  John  H.  Chace,  Playground,  November  1908-January,  1901. 

120 


fences  and  hedges  121 

2.     Kinds  of  Fencing, 

(«)  The  steel  picket  is  the  most  common.  It  is  very  expensive. 
Chicago  playgrounds  show  best  example. 

{/>)  A  wire  feme  covered  with  vines  is  much  cheaper  and  seems  to 
serve  equally  well  and  need  not  he  a  disfigurement  to  the  grounds.  It  can, 
in  fact,  be  made  a  decided  ornament  by  covering  it  with  vines. 

(c)  Evergreen  hedge  or  privet,  reinforced  with  wire,  makes  an  ex- 
cellent fence. 

;{.    The  (  tates. 

The  gates  should  be  of  a  kind  that  cannot  be  easily  climbed  over  and 
should  be  closed  at  a  certain  hour  every  night. 

4.  Hedges. 

(a)  In  general,  hedges  are  very  much  cheaper,  harder  to  climb  and 
are  much  more  beautiful  than  picket  fences,  and  shut  out  the  gaze  of  unde- 
sirable spectators. 

(b)  They  will  need  to  be  reinforced  by  a  wire  fence  at  the  beginning. 

(c)  Some  form  of  evergreen  privet  seems  to  serve  the  purpose  best  in 
the  North. 

(d)  Prickly  barberries  make  a  good  low  hedge  to  protect  grass  areas 
and  keep  the  children  in  the  path. 

We  have  always  used  buckthorn  for  hedges.  This,  however,  is  quite 
expensive  and  the  buckthorn  is  rather  a  difficult  shrub  to  grow.  Japanese 
barberry  makes  a  very  good  hedge  and  is  suitable  for  separating  the  interior 
parts  of  the  playground,  but  not  so  good  for  the  outside. 

We  have  been  experimenting  with  hawthorn  which  if  it  proves  suc- 
cessful ought  to  be  the  best  hedge  for  New  England,  where  it  grows  wild. 
The  hawthorn  will  grow  on  very  poor  sandy  soil.  We  have  a  hedge  set 
out  two  years  ago,  taking  the  plants  direct  from  the  woods.  We  did  not 
prepare  the  soil  and  watered  but  once.  Only  a  few  died  in  spite  of  hot,  dry 
summers. 

If  any  of  our  readers  should  desire  to  plant  a  hawthorn  hedge  we 
should  be  glad  to  furnish  them  with  sample  plants  at  cost  of  collecting  them 
from  the  woods.  The  hawthorn  is  about  the  toughest  shrub  which  grows. 
When  the  branches  are  green  it  is  absolutely  impossible  to  break  them 
across. 

5.  Wire  Fence  and  Specifications. 
Specifications  For  fencing: 

The  meshes  of  the  fence  must  have  no  openings  horizontally  over  two  inches  wide. 
The  openings  vertically  must  not  be  longer  than  tour  inches.  It  the  style  of  fence  is  cable 
field  fence,  the  horizontal  cables  must  be  made  of  not  smaller  than  No.  l'2l  steel  wire, 
placed  every  four  inches  of  height.    Cross  wires  must  not  be  smaller  than  No.  14  steel  wire. 

If  the  tending  is  made  of  electrically  welded  steel  strands,  the  wire  must  not  be  smaller 
than  No.  11.    All  fencing  must  be  galvanized  and  in  first-class  condition. 


122 


im.  vy<;hoi  \d    i  i:<  n\nji  i;    \\d    \-\.\\  en  \i  r 


Specifications  for  posN: 

All  posts  except  corner  posts  and  braces  must  be  of  sound  second-hand  or  new  l§-inch 
pipe,  which  lias  Bad  the  rust  thoroughly  cleaned  off  and  a  coating  of  asphaltum  or 
elaterite  paint  applied.  All  corner  posts  must  lie  made  of  sound,  second-hand  or  new  2£- 
inch  pipe,  cleaned  and  painted  as  specified  above.  All  braces  must  be  made  of  second-hand 
or  new  2-inch  pipe,  cleaned  and  painted  as  specified  above. 

Specifications  for  erecting  the  fence: 

Bach  corner  must  be  braced  both  ways  with  2-inch  pipe  as  specified  in  the  drawing. 
Each  fence  post  shall  be  anchored  as  specified  in  the  drawing.  Midway  in  each  stretch  of 
fence  which  is  over  100  feet  long,  the  post  at  this  point  shall  be  braced  both  ways  with 
2-inch  pipe  anchored  as  shown  in  the  drawing. 

Posts  shall  be  placed  1(5  feet  apart. 

Specifications  for  placing  barb  wire: 

The  58-inch  fence  must  have  a  strand  of  barb  wire,  hog  style,  fastened  with  bolts  to  each 
post,  one  and  one-half  inches  above  the  top  of  the  fencing. 

The  48-inch  fence  shall  have  in  addition  to  the  strand  of  barb  ware  mentioned  above, 
two  additional  strands,  bolted  to  each  post  at  distances  respectively  2  inches  and  4  inches 
above  the  first  strand. 

Specifications  for  attaching  fencing: 

The  fencing  must  be  secured  to  the  posts  by  means  of  bolts  and  wires.  The  lower  border 
of  the  fence  must  be  placed  one  and  one-half  inches  above  the  ground  and  the  whole  fence 
thoroughly  stretched  and  erected  in  a  first-class  and  workmanship  faslnon. 


/3/rce   ofA-^H»»tf-P/p«   for 

ATOATHJiENVER  PLAYIMOUNJ) 

7i  ,.,r  jo  r.  wm  /.►  f„.r  e ,«cr«j 

Mm*i*f  ill  Hi  mtt. 
Hay  Bmrk+j  Witt. 
TJ^»/l.*T  W/XH 

'••rf   0»*1    C»|r 


*t  >'tj  L  a  — 'i     /"•«•  / no 


lift 


PLAN    OF    A  SERVICEABLE    AND    ECONOMICAL    FENCE 
Cost  40c.  per  foot  erected  by  contract  in  Denver.     Could  be  erected  by  day  labor  for  20c.  per  foot. 


Specifications  for  gates: 

All  gates  must  be  made  of  one  and  one-quarter  inch  pipe  with  malleable  fittings  as 
shown  in  the  plan.  If  they  have  a  steel  gate  which  can  be  altered  so  as  to  permit  the 
necessary  strands  of  barb  wire  being  placed  on  top,  have  them  give  us  a  price  on  both  the 
steel  gates  and  the  iron  pipe  gates  made  according  to  the  specifications.  The  gates  must 
be  secured  to  the  post  in  such  a  fashion  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  the  boys  to  take  them 
off,  or  work  them  loose.  They  must  be  braced  as  shown  in  plan  and  another  brace  at 
right  angles  to  this  must  be  used  on  the  side  where  the  gate  swings. 


CHAPTER  XVIII  * 

Los  Angeles  Playgrounds  and  Buildings 

A.     Playgrounds  and  Operation 

Los  Angeles  represents  the  final  consummation  of  the  combination  of 
the  playground  and  the  social  settlement.  The  country  at  large  has  much 
to  learn  from  this  city.  Chicago  has  developed  its  wonderful  system  of 
field  houses  and  recreation  parks  on  a  gigantic  scale.  Los  Angeles  was  the 
first  city  to  adapt  these  to  the  conditions  which  obtain  outside  the  largest 
cities.  Through  the  kindness  of  Miss  Bessie  D.  Stoddart  and  Mr.  Raitt, 
we  are  enabled  to  reproduce  specifications  and  plans  of  these  buildings  as 
well  as  photographs.  For  other  matter  regarding  supervision  of  Los  Angeles 
playgrounds  and  the  playground  commission,  see  Volume  II. 


field  house  at  echo  park  playground 

Los  Angeles 

One  of  the  most  valuable  features  of  the  work  in  Los  Angeles  is  the 
fact  that  the  playground  directors  live  on  the  grounds.  In  this  connection, 
Miss  Stoddart  says: 

"We  find  it  most  important  to  have  the  man  in  charge  of  a  playground 
resident  upon  it.  This  insures  perfect  care  of  the  apparatus,  and  abso- 
lutely no  interference  with  grounds  when  they  are  closed.  Far  more  than 
this,  however,  is  the  factor  of  the  resident  director  being  a  part  of  the 


♦Compiled  from  reports  and  letters. 


123 


H4 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS 


125 


POUCH    OF    SUPERINTENDENT'S    BUNGALOW    RESIDENCE 

Los  Angeles 

neighborhood.    He  is  one  with  the  people.    His  home  becomes  a  nucleus  of 

social  life  in  the  community.    The  playground  possesses  the  craving  feature 
of  the  settlement,  the  home  atmosphere  and  influence. 

"  In  the  recreation  center,  we  have  an  artistic  little  apartment  of  five 
rooms  and  hath  for  the  resident  manager  and  his  wife.  At  Echo  Park 
Playground,  Mr.  Best  and  his  sister.  Miss  Best,  occupy  certain  rooms  in 
the  Club  House,  but  a  bungalow  residence  will  be  erected  there  the  coming 
fiscal  year.  So  much  evening  work  makes  it  almost  imperative  to  have 
residents." 


LIVING    ROOM    OF    SUPERINTENDENT 

Los  Angele? 


126 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAI T 


Playgrounds  Nos.  1  and  2 

The  children  and  young  people  have  enjoyed  to  the  utmost  the  games, 
sports,  and  gymnastic  drill,  and  free  play  upon  swings,  see-saws,  Maypoles, 
and  other  apparatus,  which  these  grounds  provide.  The  little  folks  have 
amused  themselves  in  the  sand  boxes,  playing  with  the  large  blocks,  while 
the  adults  have  found  pleasure  in  watching  all  that  Avas  going  on.  Count 
being  taken  once  during  the  day  of  those  present,  53,948  represents  the  at- 
tendance for  one  year. 

Little  gardens  were  cultivated  to  the  number  of  fortv-eight,  and  the 
children  proudly  carried  home  their  products  of  vegetables  and  flowers. 
A  system  of  daily  marking  for  care  and  neatness  was  instituted,  and  in  June 
prizes  were  awarded  to  those  whose  gardens  showed  the  most  faithful  and 
diligent  attention. 

The  grounds  are  open  all  day  during  vacations,  and  on  Saturdays  and 
holidays,  and  from  two  o'clock  until  dark  on  school  days.     On  Sunday 


CCHCPARK  PLAYGROUND 


PLAN    OF    ECHO    PARK    PLAYGROUND 
Los  Angeles  By  C.  B.  Raitt,  Supt. 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    Hill. DINGS  H7 

afternoons,  though  there  are  no  match  games  or  gymnasium  work,  the 
place  becomes  a  park  for  the  families  of  the  neighborhood.  The  play- 
ground has  been  open  during  the  noon  hour  on  school  days  to  accommodate 
the  83.5  children  of  the  near-by  Seventh  Street  School,  where  the  yards  are 
very  small.  The  kindergarten  of  the  school,  too,  frequently  employs  a 
morning  at  the  grounds.  The  .'500  girls  of  the  Boyle  Heights  Orphanage, 
just  across  the  river,  at  intervals  spend  a  whole  day  on  the  playground, 
bringing  luncheon  with  them. 

Interest  in  girls'  games  and  athletics  was  greatly  stimulated  by  the 
creation  of  the  position  of  assistant,  who  had  charge  of  girls'  work,  dividing 
her  time  between  Playgrounds  Xo.  1  and  No.  -2.  One  of  the  chief  features 
at  both  playgrounds  was  the  organization  of  basketball  teams.  And  an 
interesting  outgrowth  of  this  was  instruction  in  sewing,  the  girls  bringing 

DO  ©'  ©  ©        o 

to  the  grounds  material  for  their  suits,  and  being  taught  how  to  make  them. 


The  care  of  the  little  children,  the  leadership  of  older  girls  in  their 
games,  athletics  and  gymnasium  work,  demand  that  each  ground  have  a 
woman  assistant. 

1.  Visiting  Nurse's  Headquarters.  Adjoining  the  superintend- 
ent's bungalow  is  the  station  of  one  of  the  city  visiting  nurses,  working  under 
the  auspices  of  the  College  Settlement,  and  in  close  connection  with  the 
City  Health  Department.  Besides  the  district  work,  this  nurse  has  charge 
of  the  school  nurse  work  of  the  Seventh  Street  School. 

-2.  ('lib  House.  The  building  for  indoor  recreation  was  finished 
this  year.  It  is  an  artistic  bungalow,  the  main  room  of  which  is  about 
25  \  36  feet,  with  one  end  elevated  as  a  stage.  A  large  open  fireplace,  many 
windows  and  electric  lights,  together  with  chairs  and  tables  for  grown 
people  and  children,  make  this  a  pleasant  place  for  meeting.  A  small  club 
room,  a  dressing-room,  a  kitchen  and  a  storeroom  complete  the  house. 

3.  Playground  Library.  The  work  which  the  Public  Library 
began  in  the  summer  of  1906,  continued  out-of-doors  two  afternoons  a 
week  throughout  the  winter,  but  when  the  Club  House  was  opened  it  found 
accommodation  there. 

We  have  183  books  from  the  city  library,  and  about  800  discards. 
The  city  books  are  circulated  only  among  those  having  regular  city  cards. 
For  the  discards  we  issue  a  playground  library  card.  We  have  issued  551 
of  these  cards. 

4.  The  Story  Hour.  The  story  hour  has  been  from  the  first  a 
source  of  great  interest,  and  has  created  a  demand  for  books  which  other- 
wise would  not  have  been  read.  But  during  the  past  few  months  the  time 
has  been^sQ  taken  up  at  the  desk  thai  the  stories  have  been  almosl  entirely 
discontinued. 

5.  Girls'  Club.  The  girl's  scrap-book  club  has  been  cutting  and 
pasting  magazine  pictures  into  books  made  by  themselves.  They  have 
made  twenty-five. 


in 

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128 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS 


129 


ECHO    PARK   PLAYGROUND    CLUB    HOUSE 

Los  Angeles 

1  story  in  front,  2  in  rear 

It  has  been  the  aim  to  teach  respect  for  books  and  the  proper  care  of 
them,  to  uphold  the  dignity  of  the  library,  and  to  inculcate  feelings  of  civic 
pride  and  responsibility  in  all  who  come  in  contact  with  the  library. 

6.  Boys'  Club.  Miss  Belle  Parsons  has  been  very  successfully 
directing  a  club  of  boys  from  eight  to  thirteen  years  of  age  called  "King 
Arthur's  Knights,"  organized  for  the  study  of  Knights  and  Chivalry. 
There  are  thirtv-four  members.  Thev  have  regular  readings  from  the  best 
books  on  the  subject,  and  from  the  study  of  legends  and  pictures  have  made 
arms  and  armor  and  spend  a  part  of  each  meeting  in  outdoor  practice  of 
knightlv  games.  A  grand  tournament  will  be  given  in  December,  after 
which  the  club  will  take  up  the  reading  of  Greek  hero  tales  and  their 
dramatization. 


B.     Celebrations  During  the  Year 

1.  Christmas.  On  December  29th,  Christ  Church  Sunday  school 
entertained  about  500  children  at  the  playground.  A  beautiful  Christmas 
tree  was  placed  outdoors,  around  which  the  children's  choir  sang  carols. 
Mr.  Baker  P.  Lee  gave  an  interesting  talk  to  the  young  people,  after  which 
gifts  and  candy  were  distributed.  The  candy  was  kindly  furnished  by 
Bishop  &  Company,  and  Kahn-Beck  Company,  while  Hamburger  &  Sons 
provided  a  share  of  the  toys. 

2.  Circus  Day.  On  April  10th  the  Los  Angeles  Examiner  gave  a 
children's  day  at  Sells-Floto  Circus.  About  300  children  and  50  adults 
from  the  playground  neighborhood  enjoyed  this  treat.  Mr.  Howard  E. 
Huntington  kindly  furnished  four  special  cars  for  transportation. 


■e 
Si 


53 


130 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS 


1.51 


3.  Opening  of  Field  House.  On  April  13th  the  new  recreation 
building  was  formally  opened.  As  public  library  work  was  to  be  one  of  its 
chief  activities.  Doctor  Jones  of  the  library  staff,  and  Mr.  Giffen  of  the 
library  hoard,  made  the  addresses  of  the  day.  The  pretty  bungalow  had  been 
decorated  by  the  boys  with  wild  poppies.  Tea  was  served,  and  the  building 
was  inspected  by  I  lie  visitors. 


TEETER    BOARDS    ON    VACATION    PLAYGROUND 
Los  Angeles 


4.  Fourth  of  July.  Park  Commissioner  Humphreys  and  Council- 
man Heal}',  of  the  Fourth  of  July  Committee,  arranged  a  band  concert  for 
this  occasion,  together  with  a  patriotic  address  by  Mr.  E.  J.  Harper.  The 
same  gentlemen  also  personally  provided,  at  their  own  expense,  a  treat 
of  ice-lemonade  for  the  500  children  present.  An  interesting  exhibition 
by  the  Polytechnic  (iymnasiuni  Club,  led  by  Mr.  ().  S.  Lowsley.  added 
to  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion. 

5.  Annual  Inter-Playground  Track  Meet.  On  September  14th, 
to  mark  the  close  of  the  Vacation  Plavgrounds,  teams  from  Plavgrounds 
No.  1  and  No.  "2,  and  from  New  Macy  and  Utah  Vacation  Playgrounds, 
held  an  interesting  contest,  for  which  Ihev  had  been  training  during  the 
summer. 


(J.  Special  Features.  Other  features  of  the  work  in  Los  Angeles 
are:  bowling  alleys,  pets,  such 'as  rabbits,  pigeons,  etc..  aquarium,  self- 
government,  physical  examinations,  lecture  course,  musical  and  dramatic 
organization.  At  Echo  Park  Playground  there  is  a  bows'  brass  band,  a 
girls'  brass  band,  a  mixed  orchestra  and  a  mandolin  and  guitar  orchestra. 
At  the  Recreation  center  there  is  the  choral  class  and  the  bugle  and  drum 


132 


LOS   ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS  133 

corps.    It  is  planned  to  have  dramatics  on  all  the  grounds.    Walks  into  the 
country  and  camps  are  also  planned  for  this  season. 

The  playground  is  a  branch  of  the  public  library.  It  is  possible  to  carry 
on  such  a  work  through  the  assistance  of  voluntary  helpers  who  aid  the 
paid  workers. 


C.     Los  Angeles  Buildings 

The  Chicago  buildings  are  described  in  Chapter  X;  more  applicable 
to  the  small  city  is  the  Los  Angeles  style  of  building  which  we  are  able  to 
show  in  detail  together  with  plans  and  specifications.  Miss  Stoddart 
says : 

1.  Club  House.  "The  contract  of  our  latest  club  house  at  Slauson 
Avenue  Playground  has  just  been  let  for  $8,885.  This  will  be  located 
in  a  four  and  one-half  acre  playground,  which  will  have  an  equipment  of 
an  outdoor  gymnasium,  ball  field,  handball,  basketball,  croquet,  play 
apparatus,  gardens,  wading  pool,  and  in  time  a  bungalow  residence  for 
the  director.  Planting  will  surround  the  building.  A  feature  which  we 
think  will  prove  a  great  saving  in  time  and  exertion  is  the  device  for  storing 
the  chairs  under  the  stage,  when  the  hall  needs  to  be  cleared  (which  will 
be  the  greater  part  of  the  time) .  The  steps  up  to  the  stage  hinge  back  and 
trucks  under  the  stage  can  be  pulled  out,  the  folding  chairs  laid  flat  on  them 
and  the  trucks  be  pushed  back  out  of  the  way.  So  the  transformation  from 
a  lecture  hall  to  drill  or  club  room  can  be  made  very  quickly.  The  new 
club  house  will  have  plaster  and  half  timber  exterior,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
club  house  at  Playground  No.  2;  the  club  rooms  and  kitchen  will  be  used 
for  residence  of  director  until  his  bungalow  residence  shall  be  built,  as  we 
firmly  believe  in  having  the  director  a  resident. 

2.  Recreation  Center.  :'The  cost  of  the  building  was  less  than 
$21,000.  It  wTas  built  in  the  hard  times  when  materials  and  labor  were  low 
and  is  really  about  a  $30,000  building.  The  extra  cost  of  apparatus,  running 
track,  bowling  alley,  lockers,  furniture,  $5,600  extra.  On  the  drawings  no 
note  is  made  of  mezzanine  rooms  over  the  kitchen  and  library;  one  is  the 
physical  instructor's  room  for  measurements,  private  shower,  etc.,  the 
other,  a  small  club  room. 

"Alterations  suggested  by  experience:  I  would  say  that  the  stage 
should  be  wider,  and  library  room  and  club  room  in  mezzanine  larger. 
We  changed  the  plans  as  follows:  Main  entrance  basement  floor  we  made 
one  large  lobby  with  stairs  ascending  (instead  of  club  room  and  hall  as  indi- 
cated on  the  plan) .  Where  these  stairs  lead  to  the  gymnasium,  we  left  out 
toilet  and  made  wide  double  doors  into  gymnasium;  also  cut  doors \Jor 
outside  and  ran  iron  stairway  down  to  the  ground.    Until  other  parts  of^the 


•■  ■«■  jr-     ■  t 


134 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AM)    BUILDINGS 


135 


Crconv   Floor-  Plaa 


^Vv-niciPAL  Rccrcatio/i   (brrcR. 

liUAT.  Eager.  ^Bub/v  Arjcmsjcctj. 


I3A.5E/*\c/vr     Fla/i  ~ 


PLAN  OF  SECOND  FLOOR  AND  BASEMENT  OF  MUNICIPAL  RECREATION  CENTER 

Los  Angeles 

building  are  added,  present  entrance  to  gymnasium  (not  indicated  on 
drawing)  is  with  outside  iron  stairway  and  porch  to  large  doors  in  side  of 
gymnasium*?- 

3.     Specifications  of  Municipal  Recreation  Center. 

Bids:  .    .  .      . 

Bids  will  be  received  as  a  whole.     Also  with  certain  omissions  as  noted  at  beginning 

of  specifications. 


13(*» 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


Kl  s|  kv  \tions: 

TJiere  will  be  reserved  from  the  general  contract,  the  following  items: — 
The  curved  form  and  finished  running  track  floor. 
The  howling  alleys. 
The  lockers  and  seats  in  locker  room. 

EXCAVATIONS 

(Read  General  Conditiom) 
Establish  the  grade  line  at  the  building  approximately  corresponding  with  the  present 
grade,  as  directed  by  the  Superintendent,  and  excavate  i'or  basement  and  foundations  as 
shown  by  plans  and  sections. 

Vuxsnoanv 


J\jm.\vm.  Recreoxh  (bum.  J$r AnGnx;. 
PLAN    OF   GYMNASIUM,  AUDITORIUM    AND   PROPOSED    ADDITIONS 


LOS   ANGELES   PLAYGROUNDS   AND    BUILDINGS  137 

Fill  in  around  the  walls  after  they  are  up  to  established  grade  and  settle  with  water  and 
tamp  the  hack  tilling  well  into  place. 

Deposit  such  portion  of  the  top  soil,  as  directed  by  Superintendent,  on  the  premises 
for  use  in  grading  by  others,  and  remove  all  surplus  earth  from  the  premises  and  adjacent 
streets. 

Should  any  old  vaults  or  other  excavations  come  within  the  building  area,  clean  them 
out  and  611  in  to  bottom  of  basement  floor  with  clean  gravel,  and  thoroughly  puddled 
with  water. 

CONCRETE 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

All  footings  for  walls  and  piers  will  be  of  concrete  composed  of  one  part  Portland 
Cement,  two  parts  clean,  sharp  sand,  and  four  parts  crushed  stone  or  screened  gravel — all 
by  measurement. 

The  cement  to  be  of  some  well-known  and  tried  brand  approved  by  architects;  the 
stone — granite  or  other  hard  stone — none  larger  than  will  pass  through  a  2"  ring,  with  the 
dust  screened  out. 

Thoroughly  mix  the  cement  and  sand  dry,  add  sufficient  water  to  form  a  mortar  of  the 
proper  consistency  and  thoroughly  mix  the  same,  then  add  the  stone  or  gravel  and  cut  and 
turn  over  the  entire  mass  three  times  until  each  piece  of  stone  is  fully  coated  with  the  mortar. 

All  mixing  shall  be  done  on  a  tight  board  platform  and  measurements  shall  be  made  by 
the  use  of  boxes  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Superintendent.  After  mixing,  dump  the  mass 
into  the  trenches  and  tamp  with  a  metal  paving  tamp  until  the  water  flushes  to  the  surface 
and  all  interstices  are  thoroughly  filled. 

Provide  good  dressed  plank  forms  for  all  footings  and  leave  them  in  place  until  the 
concrete  is  thoroughly  set.     Forms  shall  not  be  removed  until  directed  by  Superintendent. 

Should  old  excavations  be  found  under  walls,  fill  them  from  bottom  with  concrete  or 
provide  such  reinforcing  members  in  footings  as  required  for  support  of  walls  above. 

CEMENT  WORK 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

The  floors  in  basement,  marked  "Cement  Floors"  on  plans  will  have  a  3"  bed  of  con- 
crete as  described  for  footings  and  a  finish  coat  \"  thick  composed  of  three  parts  cement 
to  five  parts  sand,  troweled  down  to  a  smooth,  hard,  uniform  finish  and  blocked  off  into 
squares  of  not  more  than  16  square  feet. 

In  the  bowling  alley,  finish  the  surface  of  all  floors,  except  under  the  alleys  proper, 
where  the  rough  concrete  bed  will  be  dropped  below  floor  level  as  noted  and  left  without 
top  surface. 

Where  Terrazzo  floors  are  noted  in  shower  room,  clinic  room  and  entrance  vestibule, 
put  in  3"  bed  of  grouting  as  above  specified,  leaving  the  top  surface  2"  below  finished  floor 
line.    Grade  the  floor  of  shower  room  to  pitch  as  directed  and  form  the  pockets  for  showers. 

In  apartments  where  cement  floors  are  used,  form  up  a  cement  base  all  around  the 
walls  6"  high,  finished  with  a  sanitary  cove  at  floor. 

Make  cement  plinths  ^"  wider  than  trim  with  face  \"  in  front  of  face  of  trim. 

Steps  to  outside  basement  entrances  will  be  of  cement,  formed  up  to  concrete  as  for 
floors  with  a  finish  coat  -}"  thick. 

The  outside  of  brick  basement  walls  which  come  in  contact  with  the  earth  to  be  plas- 
tered with  a  |"  coat  of  three  parts  cement,  five  parts  sand  with  three  per  cent  by  weight  of 
Medusa  Waterproofing  Compound  added  to  and  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  cement  accord- 
ing to  the  instructions  of  the  manufacturers,  this  coating  to  extend  from  footings  to  top  of 
base  around  building,  including  wash  of  base. 

Form  up  copings  around  basement  stairs  of  concrete  and  finish  the  surface,  also  finish 
the  inside  face  of  walls  of  step  areas. 

BRICK  WORK 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

Foundation  walls  and  area  walls  for  basement  entrances  up  to  grade  fine,  and  all  other 
walls  shown  as  "brick"  on  drawings  to  be  built  of  good,  hard  common  brick,  no  soft  or 
salmon  brick  will  be  allowed  on  the  premises. 

All  brick  to  be  laid  in  the  best  manner  of  "Shoved"  work— i.  e.,  each  brick  laid  down 
in  a  thick  bed  of  mortar  and  shoved  into  position  ami  all  joints  thoroughly  filled  with  mor- 


138  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    .VXD    PLAYCRAFT 

tar.  Neatly  strike  tlic  face  joints  of  unplastered  brick  walls  (the  inside  of  brick  walls  in 
furnace  room  and  store  room  will  not  be  plastered).  Where  walls  are  to  be  plastered  both 
exterior  and  interior,  leave  the  joints  rough. 

Bond  all  brick  work  with  headers  every  six  courses  in  height. 

Mortar  for  brick  work  in  general  to  be  composed  of  freshly  burned,  thoroughly  slaked 
Mini  cooled  lime,  and  clean  sharp  sand  in  proportions  to  insure  a  first-class  mortar. 

For  the  outside  basement  walls  below  grade  line  and  the  area  walls,  use  one-half  barrel 
of  Portland  Cement  to  each  yard  of  mortar. 

Smoothly  strike  the  joints  of  inside  faces  of  ventilating  stack. 

Build  all  fireplaces  and  trimmer  arches  as  required  by  city  ordinances. 

Line  the  smoke  flues  throughout  their  entire  length  with  fireclay  Hue  lining  of  sizes 
shown  on  plans,  and  extend  these  linings  2"  above  top  of  chimneys.  Provide  sheet  iron 
thimbles  at  all  Hues  where  there  are  no  open  fireplaces,  anil  clean  outs  at  bottom  of  flues 
where  directed. 

Lay  up  all  walls  to  a  line  and  level  them  up  to  proper  heights. 

In  no  case  shall  any  portion  of  the  work  be  carried  more  than  six  feet  above  that 
already  built,  and  such  work  must  be  racked  back  4"  on  each  course. 

Leave  channels  or  openings  in  walls  where  shown  or  directed  for  pipes,  etc.,  wall  in 
all  nailing  blocks,  bond  timbers,  templates,  anchors,  lintels,  etc.,  coming  in  the  brick  work. 

Set  the  centers  for  all  arches  and  leave  them  in  place  until  the  brick  work  is  thoroughly 
set . 

(Over  the  walls  for  protection  from  the  weather  at  all  necessary  times. 

Form  up  the  sill  courses  as  directed. 

At  completion,  clean  down  the  faces  of  unplastered  walls,  and  clean  up  and  remove 
all  masons'  rubbish  from  the  premises  and  streets. 

Build  the  brick  portion  of  mantels  as  shown  by  details,  and  line  the  fireplaces  with 
fire  brick  of  best  quality.     Build  hearths  of  brick  to  correspond  with  facings. 

PLASTERING 

(Read  General  Conditions) 
Interior  Plastering: 

The  brick  walls  of  furnace  room  and  store  room  in  basement,  and  the  ceiling  of  gym- 
nasium and  the  soffits  of  running  track  gallery  will  be  unplastered. 

The  remainder  of  the  interior  of  the  building  will  be  plastered  as  follows: 

Lath  the  ceilings  of  furnace  room,  clinic  and  shower  rooms  and  stud  partition  of  shower 
room  and  bath  room  and  kitchen  wainscot  with  No.  24  Western  Expanded  Metal  lath 
dipped  in  Wood  Perserving  Company's  preservative,  nailed  every  8"  with  galvanized  iron 
nails  or  staples,  the  joints  properly  lapped  and  securely  fastened  down. 

Lath  all  other  ceilings  and  stud  partitions  with  best  quality  O.  P.  lath,  breaking  joints 
every  tenth  lath.  No  loose  pieces  to  be  nailed  between  studding  or  joists.  Lath  to  be 
placed  f"  apart  and  nailed  at  each  bearing  with  3d.  blue  nail. 

Plaster  the  ceiling  of  furnace  room  with  a  first  coat  composed  of  six  parts  well  haired 
lime  mortar  and  one  part  (measurement  dry)  approved  Portland  cement;  and  a  second 
coat  of  three  parts  lime  mortar  without  hair,  H  parts  clean  sharp  sand  and  l\  parts  Port- 
land cement  (all  by  measurement  dry). 

Plaster  the  walls  and  ceiling  of  shower  room  and  clinic  room,  and  wainscot  of  second 
story  bath  and  kitchens  with  Best's  Keenes  Cement,  with  a  smooth  finish  for  enameling, 
put  on  according  to  the  manufacturer's  instructions  in  the  best  manner.  Round  the  corners 
and  angles  in  these  apartments. 

Plastering  on  wood  lath  to  consist  of  two  coats,  the  first  of  brown  mortar,  composed  of 
Red  Star  or  other  lime  approved  by  Superintendent,  clear  sharp  sand,  and  good  long  jute 
mixed  in  proper  proportions  and  well  manipulated. 

This  plaster  to  be  made  up  at  least  ten  days  before  using. 

The  second  coat  to  be  composed  of  lime  putty  and  clean,  screened  sand  in  proper 
proportions  and  floated  up  to  a  true,  straight,  uniform  surface  with  a  fine  sand  finish. 
Office  on  Mezzanine  floor  to  be  a  smooth  troweled  finish. 

All  exposed  angles  to  have  Cook's  metal  corner  strips. 

All  plastering  must  be  free  from  stains,  blisters,  chip  cracks  or  other  defects.  Plaster 
close  down  to  the  floors,  and  close  up  to  all  grounds  and  openings. 

Put  up  the  ornamental  plaster  work  at  stage  opening,  forming  up  the  columns  and 
molds  as  detailed,  and  furnish  and  put  up  the  capitals  and  bases  of  the  columns  and  pilasters 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS  L39 

adjacent.     Use  metal  lath  in  forming  up  this  work,  following  as  nearly  as  practicable  the 
finished  profile  with  the  furring. 

Use  metal  lath  over  all  lintels,  channels  ami  at  such  other  points  as  may  he  required  to 
prevent  cracking  of  plaster  where  different  materials  are  joined. 

Kxtkriok  Plastering: 

The  entire  outside  of  the  building  will  he  plastered  as  follows: 

(  .'5  parts  good  lime  mortar  (no  hair) 
First  Coat         J  \\  parts  clean,  sharp  sand 

f  1 1  parts  in  hulk  dry.  Imported  Portland  Cement 

This  coat  to  he  carefully   rodded  and  trued  up  and  afterward  given  a  slap  dash  coat, 
covering  the  entire  surface  composed  of: 
L2  parts  lime  mortar 
1  \  parts  sand 
H  parts  Imported  Cement 

In  each  coat  of  plaster  use  Medusa  or  Richard's  Waterproofing  Compound  in  pro- 
portions and  as  directed  by  the  manufacturers. 

The  Contractor  must  guarantee  the  plastering  waterproof  and  proof  against  "Salt- 
petering"  or  the  working  out  of  the  alkali  from  the  brick. 

Form  up  and  run  the  label  molds  over  openings. 

These  label  molds,  all  belt  and  sill  courses  and  the  reveals  of  all  openings  to  have  a 
carpet  float  finish. 

The  exposed  corners  of  basement  story  and  all  basement  openings,  also  the  entrance 
to  gymnasium  shall  have  metal  corner  strips  well  secured  into  brick   joints. 

Plaster  the  outside  of  penthouses  and  exposed  portions  of  wall  from  gymnasium  roof 
to  floor  of  roof  garden,  also  soffit  of  main  cornice,  in  same  manner  as  brick  work,  except 
that  a  scratch  coat  composed  of  six  parts  well  haired  lime  mortar  to  one  part  (dry  bulk)  of 
Imported  Portland  cement  shall  be  used,  and  the  other  two  coats  applied  same  as  on  brick. 
This  work  to  be  done  on  metal  lath  as  above  noted.  Plaster  inside  of  entrance  porch  same 
a-  exterior  walls. 

CARPENTER  WORK 
*  Head  General  Conditions) 

The  Carpenter  is  to  render  all  general  assistance  to  Contractors  of  other  crafts  that 
the  Architects  may  consider  usual  or  necessary.  He  is  to  prove  all  measurements  (although 
made  by  other  craftsmen  and  contractors)  which  are  fundamental  to  his  work. 

There  is  to  be  no  smoking  inside  of  the  building,  or  spitting  of  tobacco  juice  on  the 
floors  or  into  the  registers. 

Lumber: 

All  lumber  used  for  framing  is  to  be  first  quality  ().  P.  All  lumber  to  be  used  for  other 
purposes  to  lie  as  hereafter  mentioned. 

All  lumber  to  be  free  from  saps,  shakes,  knots,  twists  or  other  defects  that  may  render 
it  unserviceable. 

Joists: 

Joists  throughout  will  be  of  sizes  figured  on  plans,  run  and  spaced  as  shown. 

Joists  for  running  track  gallery  will  be  dressed  on  all  exposed  faces. 

Prepare  the  floor  under  toilet  and  shower  room  in  Mezzanine  for  concrete  ami  Terrazzo 
floor. 

All  joi-t-  sized  to  an  even  width.  Trimmer  and  trimmer  heads  are  to  be  double,  like- 
wise double  joists  under  cross  partitions;  all  headers  carried  on  Van  Dorn  metal  joist 
hangers;    also  certain  joists  as  noted  on  drawings. 

Anchor  the  joists  into  the  brick  walls  and  tic  the  anchor  joists  together  over  bearings 
as  required  by  the  Building  Ordinances.      Furnish  the  anchors  and  joist  hangers. 

All  joists,  including  ceilings,  are  to  be  bridged  with  -2"  x  :5"  double  cross  herring  bone 
style  bridging,  placed  so  that  the  distance  between  two  rows  of  bridging,  or  between  a  row 
of  bridging  and  a  bearing  shall  not  exceed  6'  0":  all  nailed  with  four  nails  to  each  piece; 
lower  ends  nailed  after  floor  is  laid. 

Bridge  solid  over  all  bearing  partitions. 


140  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 

Studdim;: 

Studs  throughout  to  he  of  sizes  figured  on  plans.  All  studding  is  to  he  placed  16"  on 
centers.  All  openings  douhle  studded  with  double  heads  properly  framed.  Form  truss 
braces  over  openings  where  the  wall  or  partition  carries  joist. 

Fit   in   accurately  fire  stops  to  comply   with  the   Fire  Ordinance. 

All  studding  sized  to  an  even  width.  All  walls  and  partitions  are  to  he  braced  and 
trussed  as  directed.  All  bridging  to  consist  of  2"  stuff  of  the  width  of  studding,  herring  bone 
style,  four  nails  to  each  piece,  and  to  consist  of  two  distinct  rows  in  each  story. 

Provide  all  required  timbering,  furring,  etc.,  throughout  to  make  the  work  complete. 

Set  f"  grounds  at  all  openings,  except  where  jambs  are  plastered  round,  base  and 
wainscot  throughout,  to  be  put  on  perfectly  accurate  so  as  to  form  a  guide  to  the  plastering; 
ground  at  floor  as  well  as  at  top. 

Rafters: 

Rafters  of  main  roof  over  gymnasium  will  be  4"  x  12",  dressed,  spaced  as  shown  and 
secured  to  the  steel  trusses  by  heavy  lag  bolts  at  each  end. 
Rafters  for  front  part  of  building  as  figured  on  plans. 
Double  all  valley  rafters. 

Flooring: 

All  floors  are  to  be  double  and  are  to  consist  of  a  sub-floor  of  1"  x  6"  surfaced  O.  P. 
laid  diagonally,  joints  cut  over  joists  and  in  same  direction,  and  boards  nailed  in  each  edge 
to  each  joist.  \Yhen  plastering  is  finished  and  interior  finish  is  on,  lay  down  on  above 
one  thickness  of  approved  heavy  felt  paper.  Contractor  should  take  care  that  each  width 
laps  another,  and  the  material  is  not  torn  up. 

The  sub-floor  of  running  track  will  be  laid  with  1"  x  3"  matched  beaded  ceiling,  smooth 
side  down.  (The  curved  furring  and  floor  for  the  finished  running  track  will  be  put  in  by 
the  builder  of  the  track.) 

On  top  of  the  felt  paper  in  the  gymnasium,  put  down  a  floor  of  best  grade,  clear,  white 
maple,  boards  \"  thick,  2\"  wide  on  face.  No  boards  less  than  four  feet  long,  and  butt 
joints  over  joists. 

Throughout  the  remainder  of  building  where  wood  floors  are  used,  lay  the  top  floors 
of  thoroughly  dry  No.  1  1"  x  4"  vertical  grained  O.  P. 

Top  floors  to  run  at  right  angles  to  joists  where  practicable. 

Maple  flooring  to  be  milled  concave  on  bottom.  Maple  floor  to  be  thoroughly  dressed 
and  smoothed  ofl'  for  finishing  after  laying.  Other  floors  to  have  the  overwood  and  raised 
joints  smoothed  off  to  a  true  surface.  Drive  up  each  board  tightly  and  nail  thoroughly  to 
each  bearing.     No  weather  colored  flooring  allowed. 

All  lumber  used  for  flooring  to  be  No.  1  of  the  best  quality,  free  from  saps,  knots  or 
other  defects  and  well  seasoned. 

Sheathing: 

Sheath  the  gymnasium  roof  with  lf"x(j"  clear  O.  P.,  matched  and  Y-jointed  as  per 
details,  laid  smooth  side  down  and  thoroughly  spiked  to  each  rafter  with  three  large  spikes 
at  each  bearing. 

Sheath  other  roofs  with  1"  x  6"  O.  P.,  surfaced  and  laid  close. 

Form  the  grades  and  valleys  and  line  the  gutters  close  as  directed. 

Exterior  Work: 

Build  the  cornices,  pergola,  flower  boxes,  penthouse,  balustrades  and  other  exterior 
woodwork,  as  shown  by  drawings,  in  the  most  substantial  manner. 

Over  the  finished  roof  of  front  portion,  put  a  floor  formed  of  slats  as  shown,  nailed  to 
sleepers  and  leveled  up  by  blocking  from  roof  below  at  proper  intervals. 

Provide  and  put  up  the  flag  poles  of  selected  O.  P.  as  shown.  Each  pole  to  have  swivel 
blocks  and  pulleys  of  rustless  metal  and  rustless  metal  chains  or  cords  for  operating  the 
flags,  with  clamp  device  for  securing  the  cords  or  chains  at  bottom. 

At  the  south  side  of  roof  garden,  where  shown,  build  a  sand  box  of  2"  O.  P.  dressed, 
made  tight  with  sides  12"  high.  Slat  platform  need  not  extend  under  this  box,  but  box 
will  he  blocked  up  from  roof  below  and  made  level. 

Furnish  and  put  up  the  wire  screens,  pipe  rails  and  frames  for  same  in  connection 
with  the  roof  garden. 

All  material  for  this  outside  work  to  be  best  quality  R.  W. 


LOS   ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS   AND    BUILDINGS  141 

Slatted  platforms  to  be  of  O.  P.  vertical  grain,  dressed.  Other  material  for  roof  garden 
and  pergola  construction  left  rough  for  staining.  .'       , ,  ,•  i 

Cornices  to  be  dressed.    Brackets  to  be  of  Stall"  or  Composition  of  best  quality  securely 

put  up. 

Windows  and  Sashes: 

All  box  frames  to  be  made  of  \"  O.  P.  Sills  2"  thick.  Box  frames  to  have  pendulum 
of  No.  24  galvanized  iron  securelv  suspended  from  top.  , 

Generallv,  unless  otherwise  specified  or  shown,  all  sashes  are  to  be  hung  with  the  best 
braided  cotton  sash  cord  and  cast  iron  weights  on  ball  bearing  turned  2}"  axle  cast  face 
pullevs,  which  are  to  be  furnished  by  the  Contractor. 

All  sashes  are  to  be  made  of  sugar  pine  with  ogee  extensions  to  the  upper  sash.  All 
meeting  bars  of  wide  sashes  are  to  be  made  so  as  not  to  bend  upon  operating  either  sash. 
All  parting  beads  plowed  into  frames.  . 

All  windows  are  to  have  openings  covered  by  cheese  cloth  pending  the  drying  ol  the 

Frames  for  transom  sash  will  be  plain  \\"  frame  and  sash  hung  to  swing  as  directed. 

Doors  and  Frames: 

Generallv,  all  interior  frames  are  to  be  made  of  \\"  O.  P.,  carefully  blocked  at  proper 
positions  for  the  screwing  on  of  lunges.  Frames  to  have  %"  rabbit  strip  cut  therein.  All 
frames  of  width  for  lathing  and  plastering.  All  frames,  unless  otherwise  noted,  are  to  have 
hard  O.  P.  door  saddles.  All  interior  doors  are  to  be  of  1£"  thick  sugar  or  Oregon  pine, 
with  horizontal,  sunk,  flat  panels  on  each  side;   all  prepared  for  natural  finish. 

At  stair  from  gvmnasiuni  to  basement,  make  good  batten  doors  in  three  or  four  sections 
covering  full  length' of  well  hole  and  hinge  them  at  wall  side  to  swing  up  against  wall. 
Provide  them  with  counterweights,  metal  cords  and  pulleys  and  heavy  flush  lifts  as  directed. 

The  fly  doors  to  toilets  and  showers  will  be  of  clear,  seasoned,  kiln  dried,  quartered 
oak,  made 'with  extension  stiles  top  and  bottom  and  slatted  between,  hung  and  trimmed 
by  Carpenter  with  hardware  furnished  by  Owner. 

Transoms: 

Transoms  throughout  to  be  as  shown,  of  same  material  as  sash  and  same  thickness  as 
sash  or  doors  over  which  they  are  used. 

Stairs  : 

Carriages  2"  rough  O.  P.,  12"  on  centers,  strongly  supported. 

Treads  of  all  interior  staircases  to  be  \\"  vertical  grained  surfaced  O.  P.,  exterior  edges 
nosed,  interior  edges  grooved  to  receive  risers. 

Risers  to  be  \"  surfaced  O.  P.,  each  riser  and  tread  to  be  housed  into  strings  unless 
otherwise  directed.  Whole  staircase  made  as  per  drawings,  in  a  first-class  manner  and 
guaranteed  not  to  creak.  Hand  rails  on  wall  supported  by  metal  brackets  about  3  0  apart. 
Balustrade  as  per  drawings. 

Boxing: 

Box  up  all  soil  and  other  pipes  where  exposed  to  view.  Furnish  the  Plumber  and  Gas 
Fitter  with  all  the  required  cleats,  shelves  and  brackets.  Do  all  required  cutting  for  Plumber, 
and  for  ventilation  and  heating. 

Lxside  Finish: 

The  entire  interior  of  the  building  is  to  be  finished  complete  as  regards  finish  and 
wainscoting,  doors  and  windows  and  finished  plastering,   painting  and   varnishing. 

Excepting  in  clinic  room,  and  second  story  bath,  the  entire  interior  woodwork  to  be 
of  O.  P.,  selected,  clear  and  perfect,  kiln  dried,  free  from  all  defects  and  imperfections  of 
anv  description  whatsoever,  and  made  as  per  detail.  All,  including  sash,  doors  and  tran- 
soms, prepared  for  natural  finish  by  hand  smoothing  and  sand  papering.  Chnic  room  and 
second  storv  bathroom  will  be  finished  in  clear  white  cedar  for  enameling. 

Doors  to  have  a  hard  wood  stop  knob  with  India  rubber  tip.  All  windows  are  to  have 
molded  stools,  aprons  and  plain  square  edged  stops,  except  where  otherwise  shown  or 
directed.     Wainscoting,  casing  and  base  as  per  detail. 

Contractor  shall  furnish  and  put  up  a  pair  of  "Perfect"  sliding  doors  between  stage  and 
club  room,  with  all  necessary  frames  and  hangers  complete.  Abo  a  vertical  rolling  parti- 
tion (Jas.  G.  Wilson  Manufacture)  at  the  stage  opening. 


I  W  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AM)    PLAYCBAFT 

Form  proper  coil  boxes  at  sides  of  opening  and  fit  and  put  up  this  partition  to  work 
perfectly;  hardware  to  be  furnished  with  same  to  match  other  hardware.  Rolling  partition 
to  lie  of  same  material  as  other  interior  woodwork. 

Hi  nning  Track: 

build  the  sprung  girders  for  running  track  of  clear,  thoroughly  seasoned,  dressed  1" 
().  P.,  thoroughly  nailed  with  lOd.  nails.  Put  up  the  facing  and  nosing  and  form  the  channel 
for  electric  lights  as  directed. 

Support  the  girder  by  rods  and  I  beams  to  wall  as  shown.  Furnish  and  put  up  the 
iron  standards,  railing  and  wire  guard  around  track;  these  standards  to  he  spaced  approxi- 
mately :i'  0"  apart  and  bolted  securely  to  the  woodwork. 

Stage: 

Form  u])  the  gutter  for  footlights  and  the  channel  for  border  lights,  and  finish  the 
front  of  the  stage  as  shown. 

Cupboards,  Lockers,  Etc.: 

The  lockers  for  the  main  Locker  room  in  basement  will  be  reserved  from  general  con- 
tract and  furnished  by  others. 

Build  all  other  cupboards,  shelves,  mantels,  lockers,  hook  cases,  etc.,  shown  by  draw- 
ings. 

II  \kdwahk: 

The  Contractor  to  allow  Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-five  Dollars  ($225.00)  for  all  trim- 
ming hardware  and  to  prepare  an  accurate  and  detailed  list  of  the  goods  required. 

The  hardware  will  he  selected  by  the  Architects  and  after  delivery  to  the  Contractor 
he  shall  lie  responsible  for  and  shall  apply  the  same  as  required  in  the  building. 

Contractor  is  to  furnish  all  nails,  screws  and  rough  hardware,  sash  weights  and  cords 
and  all  pulleys  outside  of  the  allowance  made  for  trimming  hardware,  which  will  consist 
of  the  necessary  hinges,  locks  and  trimmings  for  doors,  cupboards  and  drawers,  and  the 
sasli  locks,  lifts  and  hinges,  and  the  screws  necessary  for  putting  the  trimming  hardware 
in  place. 

Glazing: 

All  glass  in  the  entire  building,  except  as  noted,  is  to  he  -21  oz.  American  glass,  first 
quality,  free  from  blisters  or  waves.  All  glass  to  he  well  tinned,  puttied  and  hack  puttied, 
to  be  of  No.  1  quality  of  its  kind.  Glass  in  certain  windows  and  doors  noted  on  drawings 
to  be  maze  pattern. 

The  glazing  is  to  be  done  in  the  best  workmanlike  manner,  and  all  glass  left  cleaned, 
whole  and  perfect  at  completion. 

SHEET  METAL  AND  ROOFING 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

Make  and  put  up  securely  the  vent  ducts  in  basement  of  No.  24  galvanized  iron,  joints 
to  be  locked  and  made  thoroughly  tight. 

Line  the  flower  boxes  and  cover  the  copings  of  wood  balustrades  with  same  material 
turned  down  with  drip  at  edges.     Run  a  1"  pipe  outlet  from  flower  box  linings  as  directed. 

Furnish  and  set  cast  iron  register  faces  at  openings  into  vent  ducts  of  sizes  shown — 
Tuttle  i\.  Bailey  Manufacture,  lattice  design — these  faces  to  be  white  Japanned  finish. 

Make  a  galv.  iron  duct  to  cold  air  cupboard  connecting  with  outside  under  buffet. 
In  outside  wall  put  a  galv.  wire  screen  \"  mesh  with  wire  fly  screen  behind  it.  At  top  con- 
nect by  galv.  iron  duct  with  flue  as  directed,  with  flv  screen  at  outlet. 

Make  all  rain  water  conductors  and  waterheads  of  No.  '•if)  galv.  iron,  conductors  2£"  x  4", 
brought  down  to  grade  anil  connected  with  underground  leaders  put  in  by  others. 

Line  the  gutters  for  footlights  and  border  lights  at  stage  with  I.  C  hright  tin. 

Roofing: 

(over  all  roofs  with  Carey's  Magnesia  Flexible  Cement  Roofing.  Roofing  to  be  applied 
by  careful  workmen  in  accordance  with  the  instructions  furnished.  The  building  to  be 
prepared  with  dry,  surfaced  lumber;  all  knots,  nail  holes  and  other  projections  to  be  re- 
moved from  sheathing  before  application  of  roofing  is  commenced.     Lay  the  roofing  with 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS   AND    BUILDINGS  143 

burlap  side  to  the  weather.  The  sheets  are  to  be  lapped  together  fully  U"  and  nailed  se- 
eurelv  to  roof  boards  with  1}"  flat  head  galv.  iron  nails,  with  head  at  least  V'  in  diameter; 
care  being  used  to  avoid  driving  nails  through  cracks.  Nails  must  be  driven  \!"  apart.  After 
the  roofing  sheets  have  been  nailed,  cement  the  laps  down  over  the  nail  heads  and  seams, 
making  alt  such  connections  absolutely  water  tight.  Roof  is  then  to  he  completed  by 
painting  entire  upper  burlap  surface  with  Carey's  Magnesia  paint  supplied  for  this  purpose. 
Roof  to  be  guaranteed  for  a  term  of  ten  years. 

Cornice  covering  formed  with  regular  roofing  and  graded  to  catch  basins  over  leaders, 
see  scale  detail  of  cornice. 

WROUGHT  AND  CAST  IRON"  AND  STEEL 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

This  Contractor  to  furnish  and  set  all  roof  trusses,  I  beams,  channels,  angle  iron  lintels, 
spiral  stairs  to  running  track,  outside  iron  stairs  and  railings,  pipe  columns,  bearing  plates, 
rods,  bolts,  nuts  and  washers,  the  iron  pipe  railings  around  areas,  iron  pipe  sliding  pole 
from  running  track  to  first  floor,  all  supports  and  bracing  for  apparatus  and  the  light 
standards  at  front  entrance  as  shown  by  drawings. 

The  anchors,  joist  hangers  and  railing,  and  standards  of  running  track,  and  railing 
and  screens  around  roof  garden  will  be  furnished  by  others. 

This  work  to  be  executed  complete  in  the  best  manner  according  to  the  true  intent 
and  meaning  of  the  drawings  and  these  specifications  which  are  intended  to  include  every- 
thing neeessarv.  although  every  item  necessarily  involved  or  that  may  be  reasonably  inferred 
be  not  particularly  mentioned. 

All  steel  to  be  Medium  Open  Hearth  or  Bessemer  process,  bolts  and  rods  of  wrought 
iron,  rivets  of  rivet  steel,  and  all  cast  work  of  tough  grey  iron.     Bearing  plates  to  be  of  steel. 

All  material  shall  be  in  accordance  with  the  manufacturer's  standard  specifications  as 
to  quality  and  workmanship. 

Connections,  unless  otherwise  noted,  shall  be  Carnegie  Standard.  In  construction  of 
trusses,  the  plates  and  rivets  connecting  the  various  members  shall  be  of  size  and  spacing 
to  develop  the  full  strength  of  members. 

Where  pieces  are  in  contact,  each  surface  shall  be  thoroughly  cleaned  and  given  a  coat 
of  paint  before  assembling. 

Before  leaving  the  shop  all  steel  and  iron  work  shall  be  cleaned  and  painted  one  coat 
of  paint,  and  after  erection  at  the  building  an  additional  coat.  Paint  used  shall  be  a  first 
quality  preservative  (Dixon's  Graphite,  Detroit  Superior  Graphite  or  Lowe  Bros.  Red  Lead 
Metal  Preservative). 

Drill  the  angles  of  truss  for  application  of  bolts  for  securing  rafters  and  furnish  lag 
bolts  for  use  of  carpenter  in  securing  them. 

Furnish  the  steel  smoke  stack,  of  §"  steel  plate,  12*  diameter,  well  riveted  and  provided 
with  steel  braces  every  four  feet  in  height  to  be  walled  into  brick  work  and  riveted  to  stack. 
Rivet  on  the  collar,  extending  through  the  wall  of  stack  and  extend  the  steel  stack  one  foot 
below  bottom  of  collar.  Support  the  steel  stack  on  a  h"  steel  plate  36"  square,  walled  into 
brick  work.  Under  steel  stack  put  a  door  in  plate  for  cleanout,  and  a  cast  iron  cleanout 
door  and  frame  in  brick  stack  just  above  the  basement  floor  line. 

The  Contractor  shall  submit  shop  drawings  of  the  iron  and  steel  work  for  the  approval 
of  the  Architects  before  the  execution  of  the  work. 

TERRAZZO  AM)  MARBLE 
Read  General  Conditions) 
The  floors  of  shower  room,  clinic  room,  vestibule  and, hall  at  main  basement  entrance 
and  toilet  room  in  Mezzanine  will  be  of  best  grade  Terrazzo,  laid  in  a  bed  of  Portland 
Cement  mortar  1"  thick,  the  wearing  coat  to  be  not  less  than  \"  thick  composed  of  white 
marble  chips  and  Portland  Cement  thoroughly  mixed,  laid  on  the  bed  of  mortar  while  the 
latter  is  yet  soft  and  trowelled  down  smooth  and  even. 

After  the"  cement  is  thoroughly  set,  the  surface  of  the  Terrazzo  floors  to  be  rubbed 
down  to  a  smooth  surface  and  washed  clean. 

The  wearing  coat  to  have  such  a  proportion  of  marble  chins  that  the  finished  surface 
will  show  at  least  75  per  cent  marble.     Cement  to  be  tinted  with  pigment  as  directed. 

Form  up  the  gutters  of  shower  floors  and  the  risers  between  showers  proper  and  dree- 
ing rooms,  and  pitch  all  tloors  in  shower  room  toward  gutter>  about  \"  to  l'O",  and  the 
gutters  toward  waste  outlets. 


IN  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQ1   I.    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

Round  the  edge  of  riser  slightly  to  prevent  chipping. 

In  the  shower  room  in  Mezzanine  pul  a  good  bed  of  concrete  4"  thick  under  the  Ter- 
razzo  floor  with  waterproof  paper  under  the  concrete  turned  up   in   such   a   manner  as  to 

prevent  seepage  while  putting  in  floors. 

In  the  shower  room,  the  walls  all  around,  except  where  marble  stalls  make  it  unneces- 
sary, shall  have  a  6"  x  I"  marble  base,  and  the  door  trims  shall  have  marble  plinths  1£" 
thick.  S"  high  and  width  of  trim. 

Doors  opening  into  shower  room  shall  have  cast  iron  thresholds  covering  the  joint 
between  the  Terrazzo  floor  and  the  floors  adjacent. 

In  the  entrance  vestibule  and  hall  and  clinic  room  furnish  and  set  6"  marble  base  and 
plinths  as  above  described  of  a  warm  tone  and  quality  equal  to  the  best  Tennessee  marbles. 
The  toilet  room  with  Terrazzo  floor  will  have  good  wood  base. 

Scenic  all  base  and  plinths  in  place  by  screws  and  secret  fastenings  in  the  best  manner. 

The  base  and  plinths  in  shower  room  to  be  of  same  marble  as  stalls. 

The  shower  and  toilet  partitions  and  stalls  in  shower  room  will  be  of  best  quality  white 
Italian  marble  of  size  shown  by  drawings,  \"  thick  supported  on  galv.  iron  standards  of 
heights  shown  and  provided  with  all  necessary  angle  clamps,  railing  standards,  spring  hinges 
for  fly  doors,  rubber  tipped  bumpers  and  door  strikes. 

The  shower  stall  in  Mezzanine  story  will  be  of  same  material,  but  partitions  shall  extend 
to  floor  instead  of  resting  on  standards,  and  a  slab  9"  high  shall  be  placed  at  entrance  to 
shower  stall  for  protection  from  splashing. 

The  fastenings  for  fly  doors  will  be  N.  P.  turnbuckle  casement  fasteners,  as  per  plate 
99-P  Sargent's  Catalogue,  1902.  Tops  of  stalls  to  be  braced  from  ceiling  or  with  continuous 
rail  as  directed. 

All  of  the  above  and  other  necessary  brasses  to  be  plain  brass,  nickel  plated,  equivalent 
in  style  and  finish  to  that  shown  in  Catalogue  "B,"  Ahrens  &  Ott  Mfg.  Co.,  pages  69-90-91. 

Brass  work  to  have  double  head  bolts  throughout,  and  be  put  up  in  the  neatest  manner 

Alternatives: 

As  an  alternative  for  the  Terrazzo  floors,  proposals  will  be  received  for  first  class  Ceramic 
Mosaic  of  thoroughly  vitreous  tiles  not  larger  than  f"  square. 

In  general  the  fields  shall  be  white  with  neat  borders  approximately  12"  wide  of  such 
colors  and  design  as  approved  by  Architects.  Foundations  for  these  floors  will  be  put  in 
by  General  Contractor  to  within  2"  of  the  finished  floor  line. 

This  Contractor  to  fill  in  to  required  height  with  cement  and  sand  in  equal  parts,  and 
bed  the  tiles  and  point  the  same  with  clear  cement  mortar. 

All  cement  to  be  best  quality  Portland  of  brand  approved  by  Architects. 

Tiles  to  be  well  hammered  down  to  a  true  and  even  surface  and  cleaned  with  sharp 
sand  and  a  soft  wood  board  and  left  in  perfect  condition. 

Contractor  to  submit  designs  to  Architects  for  approval  before  ordering  tiles  or  be- 
ginning work. 

Also  as  an  alternative  for  White  Italian  Marble  for  stalls,  proposals  for  best  quality 
Pink  Tennessee,  and  for  marble  base  a  white  glazed  tile  base,  6"  high  with  sanitary  cove  at 
bottom. 

PLUMBING  AND  GAS  FITTING 

(Read  General  Conditions) 
Fixtures: 

In  the  various  apartments,  furnish  and  set  up  the  following  fixtures: 
Clinic  Room: 

One  Douglas  Gloria,  low  down  combination  water  closet,  complete  as  shown  by  *plate 
No.  112,  with  dark  cherry  woodwork. 

One,  20"x30"  Standard,  P-1200,  roll  rim  enameled  cast  iron  sink,  with  back  (in  one 
piece)  supported  on  concealed  wall  hangers  with  combination  plug  and  strainer.  Fuller 
adjustable  flange  bibbs,  concealed  galv.  air  chambers  and  N.  P.  brass  P  trap,  vented  in 
the  rough. 

Shower  Room: 

One,  Standard  "Ortho"  Lavatory,  P-5.53,  with  slab,  "D"  pattern  bowl,  back  and 
overflow  in  one  piece,  with  Standard  Torrance  pattern  N.  P.  brass  Fuller  faucet,  with  china 


'Not  illustrated  in  this  volume. 


LOS    AXCKLKS    I'LAV(iHor.\[)S    AND    BUILDINGS  L45 

handle  and  index  P-651,  with  X.  P.  brass  supplies,  supported  on  concealed  hangers,  with 
N.  1*.  brass  P  trap,  vented  in  the  rough,  with  waste  plug  coupling  and  rubber  stopper 
complete  *(plate  P-553)  lavatory  to  be  enameled  all  over. 

Two,  Douglas  "Reliance"  low  down  combination  water  close!  with  cherry  woodwork 
and  extra  heavy  "Clinto"  ware  syphon  jet  bowl  complete  with  flush  connection  and  X.  P. 
brass  supply  as  shown  by  *plate  1(»(>. 

One,  cast  plate  glass  urinal  slali.  5'  long,  5'  high,  f  thick,  with  1"  perforated  galv.  supply 
extending  entire  length  and  arranged  to  spread  the  water  uniformly  over  the  slab. 

At  bottom  furnish  and  set  a  standard  urinal  stall  gutter  of  galv.  cast  iron,  P-1700 
with  screen  and  spigot  end  for  2"  outlet,  with  2"  trap  vented,  and  connected  with  main  soil 
pipe  by  2"  waste. 

Six,  Individual  showers,  and  four  showers  for  shower  room  as  shown. 

Showers  shall  be  of  the  rain  hath  type  with  5"  removable  face,  adjustable  hall  joint  and 
combination  valve  with  f"  mixing  column,  V'  supplies  and  controlling  valve  with  detachable 
key  on  mixing  column.  Bach  shower  to  be  fitted  with  "Equality"  perfect  mixing  shower 
valves  complete  (Haines.  Jones   &  Cadbury  Manufacture,  Philadelphia,  Pa.). 

Shower  stalls  to  have  outlets  in  gutters  as  shown  through  brass  combination  floor  drains 
and  traps  of  approved  design  with  detachable  strainers  and  be  connected  to  soil  pipe  by 
2"  wastes. 

First  Story  Toilet  Rooms: 

In  each.  One,  Douglas  "Gloria"  low  down  combination  as  described  for  clinic  room, 
excepting  the  woodwork,  which  will  be  of  oak  instead  of  cherry. 

In  north  toilet  room.  One,  Standard  "Chelsea"  corner  lavatory  complete,  enameled 
all  over,  with  supplies,  waste,  trap,  faucets  and  fittings  complete  as  described  for  lavatory 
in  shower  room.     (See  *plate  P-5.5.5). 

First  Story  Kitchen: 

One,  Standard  20"  x  30"  flat  rim  sink,  enameled  inside  with  faucets,  fittings,  trap,  etc., 
complete  as  specified  for  clinic  room. 

Mezzanine  Toilet  Room: 

One,  "Gloria"  combination  water  closet  as  specified  for  first  story  toilet  rooms. 
One,  shower  complete,  as  specified  for  individual  showers  in  basement. 

Office  (Mezzanine  Floor): 

One,  corner  lavatory,  complete,  as  specified  for  first  story  toilet  room. 

Second  Story  Bath: 

One,  "Gloria"  combination  water  closet  as  specified  for  first  story  toilet  rooms. 

One,   Standard    "Ortho"    lavatory    P-553,   as   specified   for  shower  room. 

One,  Standard  "Ionian"  bath  tub,  P-147,  No.  2  zinc  white  finish  outside,  with  Standard 
Fuller  double  bath  cock  Xo.  4V  offset  supply  pipes  and  connected  waste  and  overflow,  all 
X.  P.  brass  and  rubber  stopper    P-304).    Tub  to  he  i'  (i"  long. 

Second  Story  Kitchen: 

One,  Standard  enameled  sink  20"  x  30"  with  supplies,  waste,  trap  and  fittings  complete* 
as  specified  for  first  story  kitchen. 

One,  flat  rim  enameled  inside  Standard  laundry  tray  with  X.  P.  soap  dish,  waste  plug, 
coupling  and  rubber  stopper.  X.  P.  Fuller  adjustable  flange  bibbs,  waste  and  vented  S  trap 
as  shown  by  *plate  P-1296. 

Piping: 

Contractor  to  see  to  and  pay  for  putting  in  a  IV'  water  service  from Street 

at   most   convenient    point    with    box   and    iron   cover   for  shut  oil'  at  curb  line. 

From  this  point  extend  to  basement  under  windows.  At  this  point  take  off  a  1"  branch 
for  outside  hydrant  service  and  turn  hack  outside  of  house  and  extend  in  both  directions  to 
serve  four  outside  hydrants  located  near  the  four  corners  of  the  building,  and  provide  f" 
garden  hose  hydrants  at  these  points  as  directed. 

Continue  IV'  pipe  from  point  of  division  to  a  point  near  heaters  with  1"  connection  to 
each  and  1"  branch  to  front  part  of  building,  with  \"  branches  to  each  room  in  which  water 


♦Not  illustrated  in  this  volume. 


146  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE     Wl>    PLAYCRAPT 

is  used.  Detached  fixtures  may  l>e  supplied  with  4"  pipe.  Continue  a  }"  pipe  up  to  roof 
garden  where  directed  and  provide  hose  bibb  for  root'  garden  use. 

Carry  a  1"  pipe  to  showers,  with  \"  branches  and  h"  connections  to  each  separate 
shower. 

Branch  to  urinal  and  connect  with  the  perforated  pipe  at  that  point,  and  with  each 
fixture  in  basement. 

From  one  gas  water  heater  carry  a  f"  pipe  to  the  six  individual  showers  in  shower  room 
with   \"  branch  to  lavatory  and  sink  in  basement,  and  V'  connections  to  each  fixture. 

From  the  other  gas  heater  carry  a  f"  pipe  to  the  four  showers  in  shower  room  and 
continue  to  front  end  of  building  and  up  to  second  story  with  h"  branches  to  each  shower, 
lavatory,  bath  tub,  laundry  tray  and  sink. 

The  supplies  for  showers  to  be  carried  over  marble  stall  partitions  and  the  branches 
brought  down  to  mixing  valves  as  directed.  All  to  be  properly  supported  from  the  marble 
work  by  metal  supports  of  approved  design.  Any  cutting  or  boring  of  marble  for  securing 
of  these  valves,  pipes  or  supports  shall  be  done  by  the  marble  cutter  at  the  expense  of  the 
plumber,  who  shall  arrange  with  the  marble  cutter  to  do  the  same  at  the  time. 

All  supply  pipes  to  be  of  standard  wrought  galv.  iron,with  galvanized  fittings. 

All  soil  and  waste  pipes  to  be  of  standard  cast  or  wrought  iron,  dipped  in  asphaltum 
(no  wrought  pipe  larger  than  2")  the  joints  in  cast  pipe  well  yarned  run  with  lead  and  caulked. 
Connect  the  main  soil  pipe  with  the  sewer  in  Holly  Street  by  5"  vitrified  sewer  pipe  laid  with 
uniform  grade  with  no  pockets,  the  joints  properly  cemented  and  left  uncovered  until 
inspected  by  the  Architects  as  well  as  the  Plumbing  Inspector. 

Trap  all  fixtures  with  traps  most  suitable  for  the  locations  where  not  specially  provided 
heretofore.    All  traps  to  have  trap  screws. 

Back  vent  all  traps  and  run  all  soil,  waste  and  vent  pipes  in  strict  accordance  with  the 
sanitary  rules  governing  such  work  in  the  City  of  Los  Angeles. 

The  Plumber  must  present  to  the  Architects  the  certificates  of  the  Plumbing  Inspector 
before  the  work  will  be  finally  accepted. 

All  piping  to  be  run  in  such  manner  as  not  to  interfere  with  head  room  in  basement  or 
with  the  structural  qualities  of  the  building  at  any  point.  No  joists  must  be  cut,  notched  or 
bored  at  a  greater  distance  than  one  foot  from  its  bearing  unless  the  approval  of  the  Super- 
intendent is  obtained  before  so  cutting,  and  the  Plumber  shall  confer  with  the  Architects 
or  Superintendent  as  to  the  most  desirable  runs  for  pipes. 

Stand  Pipes: 

Plumber  to  provide  and  pay  for  a  fire  protection  connection  with  street  main  and  bring 
direct  into  building,  and  carry  to  points  indicated  on  several  plans  with  outlets  as  follows: 
Two,  in  basement. 
One,  in  first  story. 
One,  in  Mezzanine. 
One,  in  second  story. 
One,  on  roof. 

This  stand  pipe  to  be  2"  from  main  to  top,  with  no  connections  except  those  for  fire 
hose.  Connections  for  fire  hose  to  be  If/',  and  at  each  one  furnish  and  put  up  complete 
with  valves  Howard  Swing  Hose  Packs  (or  equivalent)  (Fig.  8,  Cat.  1901),  with  fifty  feet 
of  hose  to  three  outlets  and  seventy-five  feet  to  the  remaining  three.  All  hose  to  be  No.  1 
Underwriters'  linen  hose  14/\  and  each  outlet  to  have  a  suitable  brass  nozzle. 

Hose  racks  in  basement  corridor  and  first  story  polished  brass;   others  painted. 

Heatkrs  : 

In  basement  where  shown,  furnish  and  set  up  Two  Latest  Improved  Automatic  Gas 
Water  Heaters  with  a  guaranteed  capacity  of  six  gallons  water  per  minute  each  heated  from 
normal  winter  temperature  of  city  water  supply  to  a  temperature  of  140°  Fahr. 

These  heaters  to  be  the  "Pittsburg"  or  its  equivalent  in  the  judgment  of  the  Architects 
and  approved  by  them  before  installing,  and  must  be  put  up  in  strict  accordance  with  the  in- 
structions of  the  manufacturers  and  under  the  direction  of  the  manufacturer's  representative. 
They  must  be  installed  under  a  written  guarantee  to  perform  the  work  required  of  them  to 
the  full  satisfaction  of  the  Architects,  and  failure  to  fulfill  the  requirements  will  be  considered 
as  sufficient  cause  for  their  removal  at  the  cost  of  the  Contractor  and  the  retention  of  a  sum 
sufficient  to  reimburse  the  Owner,  for  any  and  all  expense  or  damage  incurred  in  their 
installation  and  removal. 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS  147 

Connect  the  heaters  by  proper  sheet  iron  pipes  for  conveying  the  fumes  out  through 
the  wall  into  a  galv.  iron  riser  8"  square  on  outside  and  up  above  roof.  This  vent  riser  to 
be  made  of  No.  24  gauge  iron,  supported  with  metal  bands  and  hooks  from  the  wall  on 
the  outside. 

Gas  Fitting: 

Pipe  the  building  throughout  for  fuel  gas  with  -i"  main  line  from  meter  to  water  heaters 
and  \\"  branches  to  each  heater. 

Branch  to  the  various  rooms  and  locate  the  outlets  where  shown  on  plans  and  cap 
them  for  future  connection. 

Pipe  sizes  and  fittings  to  be  in  conformity  with  the  city  rules  and  regulations.  A  certifi- 
cate from  the  City  Gas  Inspector  will  be  required  by  the  Architects  before  final  acceptance. 

All  conditions  as  to  running  of  piping  and  cutting  of  joists,  etc.,  as  noted  for  Plumbing 
shall  apply  to  Gas  Fitting. 

PAINTING 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

This  Contractor  shall  examine  carefully  the  drawings  and  specifications  for  the  various 
branches  of  the  work.  All  painting,  staining,  varnishing  and  finishing  other  than  pro- 
vided for  therein  shall  be  considered  as  a  part  of  his  contract. 

The  woodwork  of  roof  garden  (not  dressed)  shall  be  stained  two  coats  in  a  first-class 
manner  with  stains  approved  by  Architects.  The  slatted  floor  of  same,  and  all  dressed 
exterior  woodwork  and  staff  shall  be  painted  three  coats  pure  white  lead  and  linseed  oil, 
the  first  coat  thinned  down  for  a  priming  coat. 

The  galv.  iron  conductors  and  waterheads  to  be  painted  one  coat  pure  red  lead  and  two 
coats  lead  and  oil  and  be  sanded  as  directed. 

Wood  balustrade  over  main  entrance  to  be  sanded. 

The  exposed  portions  of  roof  trusses  and  other  interior  iron  and  steel  work  showing 
after  completion  to  be  painted  two  coats  white  lead  and  linseed  oil. 

The  under  side  of  sheatliing  and  rafters  over  gymnasium  and  the  soffits  and  dressed 
joists  of  running  track  to  have  two  coats  pure  linseed  oil,  the  first  coat  with  a  light  stain. 

The  walls  and  ceiling  of  shower  and  clinic  rooms  and  the  wainscot  of  first  and  second 
story  kitchens  and  second  story  bath  room  will  be  sized  with  glue  or  varnish  sizing,  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  coats  to  prevent  further  absorption,  and  will  then  have  four  coats  white  lead 
and  oil  and  be  finished  with  two  coats  Ripolin  Enamel  put  on  in  the  most  skilful  manner 
and  showing  a  uniform  gloss  without  brush  marks  at  completion. 

The  woodwork  in  clinic  room  and  second  story  bath  room  will  be  shellaced,  then 
finished  with  four  coats  lead  and  oil  and  two  coats  enamel  as  above  noted. 

The  woodwork  in  shower  room  to  be  stained  with  oil  stain  filler  and  varnished  two  coats 
best  quality  interior  varnish  with  one  coat  Flattine. 

Kitchens  and  toilet  rooms  to  be  finished  in  same  manner. 

Other  woodwork  throughout  to  be  finished  with  oil  stain  filler  and  have  one  coat  best 
wood  alcohol  shellac  and  be  rubbed  to  a  dull  finish. 

All  colors  for  stains  and  paint  will  be  selected  by  the  Architects. 

Putty  stop  all  nail  holes  and  other  defects.  Examine  the  woodwork  carefully  before 
beginning  and  where  necessary  sandpaper  and  remove  any  machine  marks  on  the  finish  and 
doors,  and  leave  the  whole  in  a  perfect  condition  on  completion. 

Oil  the  floor  of  gymnasium  one  good  coat  pure  linseed  oil  well  brushed  on.  Also  the 
treads  of  stairways. 

Risers  to  be  finished  same  as  other  woodwork. 

ELECTRIC  WIRING 

(Read  General  Conditions) 
Electric  Lights: 

AYire  building  for  lights  at  all  points  marked  — 0 —  on  plans,  with  capacity  for  number 
of  16-candle  power  lights  marked  on  plans,  and  wire  to  roof  garden  for  an  extra  capacity 
to  carry  twenty  lights. 

Switches  : 

All  switches  specified  "S.  S."  to  be  Hart  Surface  Snap  switches,  and  those  specified 
"P.  S."  to  be  Diamond  H.  Hart  flush  push  button  switches. 


IIS  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAPT 

Bring  in  feed  wires  from  ~-ii l<-  of  building  to  meter  located  where  shown  in  South  Lobby; 
branch  from  here  to  distributing  points  in  basement  and  second  story.  At  each  place  provide 
cutout  board  of  Catalina  marble  with  ylass  panel  door  in  front  and  batten  door  in  back 
and  locked  with  cylinder  lock  with  two  keys,  and  where  located  the  different  cutouts  for 
the  adjoining  circuits,  ami  these  feeds  to  lie  three-wire  and  to  have  three  pole  knife  switches 
with  plug  fuses  forward  of  same  mounted  on  cutout  board  with  the  necessary  capacity  in 

each  case. 

Provide  gravity  knife  throw  switch  and  plug  cutouts  forward  of  same,  with  capacity 
of  200  amperes  for  lighting  system,  and  all  enclosed  in  neat  box  with  glass  panel  door. 

linn  i\\''\  wires  from  meter  to  >tcrcoptican  outlet,  these  wires  to  be  three-wire  feeds  and 
all  of  >aine  size  and  capacity  for  25  amperes.  Put  in  cutout  with  plug  fuse  back  of  meter 
and  at  outlet  put  in  25  ampere  three-blade  knife  throw  switch  and  lugs  for  wire  attach- 
ment enclosed  in  metal  box  with  cover. 

All  main  Iced  wires  up  to  distributing  points  will  be  on  the  three-wire  system  enclosed 
in  cutout  box  of  Catalina  marble  back  and  marble  sill,  with  all  necessary  cutouts  and  switches 
as  hereinafter  specified,  said  board  to  be  enclosed  in  neat  case  of  O.  P.  with  glass  door  and 
fastened  with  cylinder  lock  and  two  keys. 

Location  of  Switches: 
Basement: 

Bowling  alley,  outlet  at  pin  end  of  alley  by  key  switch  at  head  of  alley. 

Other  five  outlets  by  key  switch  adjoining  same. 

Front  entrance,  outlets  on  post  at  inside  door  P.  S. 

Vestibule,  ceiling  outlet  at  inside  front  door  and  door  to  hall,  three-way,  P.  S. 

Hall,  at  door  to  vestibule  and  head  of  stair,  three-way,  P.  S. 

Club  room,  at  door  to  hall,  P.  S. 

Clinic  room,  at  door  to  outside,  P.  S. 

( 'linic  entrance,  at  inside  door,  P.  S. 

Locker  room,  eight  outlets  at  door  to  shower  room,  S.  S. 

Side  entrance  hall,  at  door  to  storeroom,  S.  S. 

Side  entrance,  at  inside  side  door,  S.  S. 

Storeroom,  two  outlets  at  door  to  side  entrance  hall,  and   door  to  shower  room, 

three-way,  S.  S. 
Furnace  room,  outlet  near  window,  S.  S. 
Shower  room,  two  corridor  outlets  at  door  to  side  entrance  and  at  head  of  stair 

in  Gymnasium,  three-way,  P.  S. 
Five  other  ceiling  outlets  at  foot  of  stair,  S.  S. 

First  Story: 

Footlights,  By  2  double  pole  knife  switches  on  board  operating  outlets  alternately. 
Arch,  By  2  double  pole  knife  switches  on  board  operating  outlets  alternately. 
Gymnasium,  two  arc  pendants  by  '2  double  pole  knife  switches  on  board. 
North  Lobby,  between  door  where  shown  and  head  of  stair  in  Mezzanine  story, 

three-way,  S.  S. 
South  lobby,  at  door  to  gymnasium  and  door  to  club  room,  and  head  of  stair  in 

Mezzanine  story,  four-way,  S.  S. 
Stage,  two  ceiling  outlets  and  two  side  outlets  at  door  to  south  lobby,  P.  S. 
Club  room,  ceiling  outlet  at  door  to  south  lobby,  P.  S. 
Gymnasium,  four  side  outlets  at  head  of  rear  stair  and  door  to  side  entrance  and 

door  to  south  lobby,  four- way,  P.  S. 
Kitchen,  at  head  of  stair  and  opposite  wall,  three-way,  S.  S. 
Gymnasium  outside  entrance,  at  inside  door. 

Running  Track: 

Outlets  on  under  side  of  running  track  to  be  run  in  molding  and  to  have  porcelain 
molding  sockets  of  approved  pattern  put  in  and  operated  alternately  from 
cutout  box  by  2  double  pole  knife  throw  switches. 

Mezzanine  Fluor: 

North  hall,  at  foot  of  stair  and  door  to  office,  three-way,  P.  S. 
Office,  at  door  to  hall,  P.  S. 

South  hall,  at  foot  of  stair  and  door  to  shop,  three-way,  P.  S. 
Shop,  ceiling  at  entrance  door,  S.  S. 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS  149 

Second  Floor: 

Office,  (tiling  outlet  at  door  to  hall,  1'.  S. 

Dining  room,  at  door  to  hall,  1'.  S. 

Kitchen,  at  door  to  hall,  P.  S. 

Corridor,  at  door  to  bed  room,  1'.  S.- 

Hath  room,  at  door  to  hall,  1'.  S. 

South  Hall,  at  door  to  office  and  foot  of  stair,  three-way,  P.  S. 

Molding: 

All  molding  where  used  under  running  track  to  lie  made  of  O.  P.  and  well  shellaced 
to  comply  with  X.  15.  of  !•'.  Q.  and  according  to  detail. 

Wire: 

All  wire  supplying  current  to  lights  to  be  Roebling  White  Core  of  the  best  drawn 
copper,  not  less  than  97  per  cent  conductivity,  and  no  wire  less  than  No.  14  B.  &  S.  gauge, 
and  any  larger  than  No.  8  must  be  stranded. 

Wires  to  be  of  ample  size  to  carry  current  without  heating,  and  to  conform  to  N.  B.  of 
F.  U.,  and  allowing  a  drop  of  not  more  than  one-half  of  one  per  cent  on  all  feeds  and  circuits. 

Circuits: 

No  branch  circuit  shall  control  more  than  10  lights. 

All  branch  circuits  so  arranged  as  to  give  two  separate  branch  circuits  in  each  room. 
Joints  made  electrically  perfect  and  then  soldered  without  using  acid  and  re-insulated. 

Put  in  sockets  for  footlights  on  stage  and  arch  and  also  sockets  on  beams  as  before 
specified  under  running  track.     These  sockets  to  be  of  approved  make. 

Where  two  or  more  switches  come  together,  use  gang  plates  and  all  switches  where 
practicable  to  be  located  in  casings.    All  switches  to  be  enclosed  in  iron  boxes. 

Side  Lights: 

All  side  lights  to  be  5'  8"  from  floor. 

Bells: 

Put  push  button  with  escutcheon  at  front  entrance  to  ring  a  3"  bell  in  second  story  hall. 

All  work  to  be  done  in  accordance  with  the  Rules  of  the  City  of  Los  Angeles  and 
Contractor  to  pay  for  permit  and  get  certificates  of  inspection  from  City  Electrician. 

4.     Specifications  of  Club  House. 

Bids: 

Bids  will  be  received  as  a  whole,  with  three  alternate  bids  as  follows:  One  to  leave 
out  all  woodwork  in  clinic  room  except  outer  structural  walls  and  do  only  the  roughing  in 
of  plumbing  in  this  room;  one  to  omit  outside  plaster,  leaving  T.  &  G.  with  no  covering 
except  the  paper;  and  one  to  use  O.  P.  floor  same  as  noted  for  club  room  instead  of  the 
maple  specified  for  auditorium. 

EXCAVATIONS 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

Excavate  for  ground  floor  and  for  foundation  wall  footings  as  shown  on  plans,  and  fill 
in  around  walls  after  completion. 

All  soil  taken  from  excavations  will  be  evenly  distributed  just  outside  of  building  on 
all  sides. 

MASON  WORK 
(Read  General  Conditions) 
Build  general  foundation  walls  and  piers  and  chimneys  of  good,  hard,  red  brick.     No 
salmon  brick  allowed,  all  bricks  wet  before  using.     All  work  well  bonded  and  all  joints 
well  filled  with  mortar. 

General  mortar  is  to  be  composed  of  a  standard  brand  of  lime  acceptable  to  the 
Architects,  and  good,  coarse  sand;  mixed  in  proper  proportions  and  well  manipulated  with 
J  barrel  of  cement  added  to  each  cubic  yard  of  mortar,  cement  added  only  as  used;    all 


150  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE   AND    PLAYCRAFT 

exposed  work  will  he  fairly  even  color  hard  burned  hrick  and  all  outside  joints  laid  in  colored 
mortar  with  raked  joints  and  inside  exposed  work  laid  in  regular  mortar  and  neatly  trowel 
pointed  as  directed.     All  wood  sills  bedded  in  mortar. 

Outside  of  all  hrick  walls  from  footings  to  grade  line  plastered  with  \"  coat  of  cement, 
one  of  cement  to  two  of  sand,  troweled  smooth. 

Flues  to  he  of  the  sizes  shown,  and  flues  in  rear  chimney  lined  with  terra  cotta  flue 
lining,  joints  set  in  (ire  clay:    flues   in   main  chimney  carefully   plastered. 

Rough  opening  in  fireplace  will  have  V'  x  2£"  tie  bar  over  rough  opening,  with  ends 
turned  up  -J"  into  brick,  opening  in  finished  facing  to  have  channel  iron  over.  Fireplace 
will  he  faced  with  Simons  12"  hrick  tile,  laid  in  same  mortar  noted  for  other  exposed  brick 
work. 

fireplace  will  he  huilt  with  fresh  air  inlet  and  hot  air  flue  connected  to  iron  hack,  as 
shown  on  detail,  and  hearth  paved  with  hrick  tile  same  as  noted  for  facing. 

Contractor  will  guarantee  draught  in  fireplace. 

CONCRETE 

(Read  General  Conditions) 

Kntire  ground  floor  will  he  paved  with  concrete;  rough  work  3{"  thick,  made  of  one 
part  cement  to  seven  parts  clean,  coarse  gravel  and  sand;  mixed  twice  dry  and  twice  wet, 
well  tamped  into  place.  Finish  coat  \"  thick,  made  of  one  part  cement  to  one  of  sand, 
troweled  smooth  and  market!  off  in  2' 0"  squares. 

Outside  steps  leading  down  into  ground  floor,  lower  flights  leading  up  to  terrace  over 
clinic  and  all  entrance  areas  made  of  concrete  same  as  above.  Chimney  caps  concrete  same 
as  above. 

All  cement  left  natural  except  chimney  caps,  which  will  be  colored  to  match  brick. 
All  entrance  areas  have  grating  in  floor  to  allow  water  to  drain  into  sand.  Cement  man  will 
build  in  sleepers  furnished  by  bowling  alley  men  and  put  in  cement  as  instructed  by  them. 

CARPENTER  WORK 

Lumber: 

Framing  timber  to  be  first  quality,  sound,  dry  O.  P.,  and  of  the  sizes  and  spacing  noted 
on  plans  or  as  noted  below. 

Main  floor  joists  2"  x  10",  16"  centers.  Main  floor  joists  under  stage  will  run  on  same 
level  as  on  auditorium  floor,  and  stage  floor  joist  of  2"  x  6",  16"  on  centers,  will  be  blocked 
up  from  floor  under  stage  on  three  rows  of  2"  x  4"  studs,  16"  on  centers,  with  top  and  bottom 
plate  of  2"  x  4",  all  as  per  details. 

Entire  building  above  brick  walls  as  shown  on  sections  will  be  constructed  with  ex- 
posed skeleton  frame,  which,  with  the  exception  of  first  floor  joists,  will  be  surfaced  timber 
up  to  level  of  top  of  main  wall  plates  and  as  more  particularly  shown  on  drawings,  and 
rough  timber  above  this  level. 

The  surfaced  timber  will  be  mill  surfaced  and  clean  and  smooth  enough  to  take  oil 
finish.  The  rough  timber  in  auditorium  will  be  selected,  sound,  true  stuff;  all  of  sizes  and 
spacing  noted  on  plans;  and  this  timber,  particularly  in  trusses,  will  be  sized  to  even  dimen- 
sions so  abutting  pieces  can  be  neatly  joined.  The  general  studding  will  be  4"  x  4",  spaced 
as  shown  on  plans,  with  2"  x  4"  sills,  plates  and  cross  pieces.  The  general  rafters  will  be 
2"  x  4",  32"  on  centers,  and  the  ceiling  joist  of  club  rooms,  stage,  etc.,  the  same. 

Iron  Work: 

Provide  all  necessary  structural  iron  work  as  shown  on  truss  detail,  and  also  plates 
under  truss  posts  and  pins  under  basement  posts. 

Frame  and  Roof  Covering: 

Cover  outside  walls  from  sills  on  brick  walls  to  roof  plates  with  1"  x  6"  clear,  sound, 
dry  V-joint  O.  P.  boarding,  surfaced  on  inner  side,  put  on  vertically  and  nailed  twice  to 
each  sdl,  cross  piece,  diagonal  and  plate.  Cover  this  boarding  up  to  top  of  ground  floor 
windows  with  waterproof  sheathing  paper  well  lapped,  and  then  put  on  the  1£"  R.  W. 
boards  shown  for  timber  effect,  these  to  be  of  rough  lumber  on  outer  face  and  rebated  to 
receive  plaster  as  noted  later.  Walls  above  this  will  be  covered  with  paper  same  as  noted 
above,  then  stripped  horizontally  with  rough  1"  x  3",  12"  on  centers,  to  receive  shakes  and 
then  with  split  R.  W.  shakes  3'  long  and  6"  wide,  nailed  to  stripping,  4  nails  to  the  shake 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS  1.51 

and  12"  to  weather,  and  set  alternately  above  and  below  a  true  line  as  shown  on  ele- 
vations. 

All  rafters,  including  eaves,  will  have  1"  x  3"  shingle  strips  4"  apart  for  shingling. 

Cover  all  root's  with  best  sawe.l  R.  W.  shingles,  laid  4V"  to  the  weather;  no  shingle 
wider  than  8"  and  each  shingle  nailed  at  least  twice  to  each  course. 

Flash  and  counterflash  around  chimneys  with  redipped  stamped  tin,  painted  on  each 
side  with  two  coats  metallic  paint  before  using. 

Shf:kt  Metal  Work: 

Lay  all  valleys  with  1.3"  galvanized  iron  and  furnish  all  necessary  flashing  of  redipped 
stamped  tin.  l'lit  galvanized  iron  gutters  on  all  caves  as  noted  on  plans,  with  .'5"  round 
leader  to  ground  (no  ornamental  gutter  heads),  except  leader  shown  on  main  chimney,  which 
will  be  -2V'x.~>".  with  box  head  as  shown.     Cover  small  flat  roof  over  with  galvanized  iron. 

All  galvanized  iron  No.  26. 

Outside  Plaster: 

Outside  walls  when  marked  "Plaster"  are  furred  with  \"  x  1"  strips  put  on  vertically 

8"  apart,  and  then  lathed  with  Steelcrete  Expanded  Metal  No.  -24  steel  lath,  redipped,  and 

put  up  with  lapped  joints,  fastened  with  galvanized  iron  staples  8"  apart,  or  closer  in  special 

cases  if  needed.     This  work  to  be  plastered  as  follows: 

t-    ,.  o      x  \.  r^  i  6  parts  well  haired  mortar 

First  Scratch  Coat       j  j  part  m  bmk>  ^  Approved  portland  Cement 

!3  parts  mortar  without  hair 
\\  parts  clean,  sharp  sand 
if  parts  in  bulk,  dry  cement 

This  second  coat  to  be  carefully  rodded  and  given  a  slap  dash  coat  thrown  on  to  cover 
entire  surface,  this  last  to  be  in  proportion  of  two  parts  mortar,  H  parts  sand,  \h  parts 
cement.  All  this  outside  plaster  will  be  treated  with  Medusa  Waterproofing  Compound, 
using  six  pounds  to  one  barrel  of  cement,  this  to  be  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  dry 
cement. 

In  mixtures  with  cement  in  them,  enough  only  to  be  mixed  at  one  time  that  can  be  used 
up  in  an  hour. 

Clean  all  splashes  from  wood  and  brick  work. 

Exterior  Finish: 

Eaves  rafters  left  rough  same  as  on  main  roof;  all  bracket  or  other  exposed  timber 
work  rough  O.  P.,  but  all  must  be  dry  and  sound. 

Flower  boxes  are  1"  rough  R.  W.,  with  1"  hole  in  bottom  at  each  end,  painted  on 
inside  with  hot  asphalt. 

Casings  of  main  floor  portion  and  porch  rails,  sill  courses,  etc.,  are  surfaced  R.  W.,  and 
ground  floor  casings  are  rough  R.  W.,  as  previously  noted  for  timber  effect. 

Floors: 

Cover  all  main  story  floors  except  auditorium  with  Xo.  1,  1"  x  4"  T.  &  G.  O.  P.,  blind 
nailed,  butt  joints  face  nailed;  all  joints  dressed  as  soon  as  laid.  Lay  under  stage  on  main 
joists  a  floor  of  No.  2,  1"  x  6"  T.  &  G.  O.  P.  Cover  auditorium  with  1"  x  3"  T.  &  G., 
ends  T.   &  G.,  best  grade  white  maple  flooring. 

Auditorium,  club  rooms,  office  and  stage  floors  scraped  and  sandpapered  for  oil 
finish. 

Floor  of  front  terrace  over  clinic  room  same  material  as  noted  above,  for  club  room, 
etc.,  joints  heavily  leaded  before  laying.  This  floor  painted  one  coat  by  carpenter  and  then 
covered  with  No.  6  canvas,  stretched  tight,  well  turned  up  against  walls  and  down  over 
edges,  fastened  with  copper  tacks.  The  landing  of  stairs  to  this  terrace  made  same  as  main 
floor,  and  between  landings  and  main  floor  under  steps  carpenter  will  lay  light  boarding  and 
cover  with  No.  -26  galvanized  iron,  carefully  flashed  to  make  water  tight,  and  on  this  will 
lay  carriages  for  steps. 

Stairs  : 

'Outside  steps  will  be  \\"  vertical  grained  O.  P.  treads,  $"  O.  P.  risers,  all  nosed  and 
molded  and  cut  between  strings.  The  two  flights  from  landings  to  terrace  floor  will  be 
put  in  so  they  can  be  removed.    Inside  stairs  will  be  same  as  noted  above. 


152  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE     \\l>    PLAYCRAFT 

j  \  1 1  euoh  Boarding: 

Inside  partitions  will  l»-  same  character  as  outside  boarding,  but  will  be  double  sur- 
faced,  also  nave  V-joinl  on  each  fare  -,-.■  below).  Ceilings  of  all  rooms  in  main  story  will 
lie  I"  \  Id"  dear,  dry  ( ).  I'.  boarding,  with  rebated  channel  joint. 

The  partitions  enclosing  showers  and  at  back  and  sides  of  basins  and  urinal  to  height 
of  ."/()"  will  lie  left  rough  on  inside  to  receive  woodstone  covering. 

Doons.  Windows   \\n  S(  hi  i.\s: 

Door  and  window  frames  are  fully  shown  by  scale  details. 

Outside  doors  I  ;"  thick,  as  per  detail,  of  selected  O.  P.,  with  2"  vertical  grained  O.  P. 
sill:  other  doors  11"  thick  live-panel  Colonial  pattern  flat  panel  stock  O.  P.  Doors  marked 
"S.  D."  are  sash  doors. 

All  sash  are  1^"  thick  and  are  casement  sash  to  swing  out  unless  otherwise  noted  on 
plans,  except  transoms,  which  will  be  hinged  at  bottom,  lipped  over  T.  bar,  and  swing  in. 

All  glass  double  thick,  first  quality,  common. 

Put  up  screens  where  marked  "S;  '  all  sugar  pine  with  copper  bronze  wire.  For  lunged 
windows  they  will  be  the  same  size  as  sash  and  for  double  casements  arranged  to  slide  side- 
ways past  each  other. 

In  auditorium  the  screens  will  be  on  transoms  only  and  will  be  fixed  in  place  with 
hooks  and  eyes. 

Screen  doors  as  shown,  \\"  thick  sugar  pine,  same  wire  as  window  screens.  All  screen 
doors  have  wood  panels  below  and  screen  above. 

Put  screen  wire  over  all  vent  openings.  All  screen  doors  to  have  f"  metal  rod  on  each 
side  of  screen  wire  to  protect  wire  from  pusliing.  Located  as  directed.  All  screen  wire 
copper  bronze. 

The  sash  over  stage  will  be  glazed  with  opaque  glass  and  will  be  hinged  and  operated 
with  cord  and  pulley  as  shown. 

Interior  Finish: 

There  will  be  no  base  and  no  casing,  except  as  shown  on  door  and  window  details. 

Build  mantel  shelf,  bookshelves  and  general  cupboards,  seats,  etc.,  as  shown  on  plans 
and  details;  all  of  clear,  dry  O.  P.  The  cupboards  in  general  built  of  1"  x  6"  V-joint  T. 
&  G.,  same  as  partitions,  and  all  cupboard  doors  will  be  T.   &  G.  same  as  partitions. 

The  sink  drain  board  in  kitchen  will  be  If"  sugar  pine;  drain  board  graded  to  sink 
and  also  grooved. 

All  drawers  will  have  side  guide  strips  and  be  fitted  to  work  smoothly.  All  seats  will 
have  hinged  lids  and  inside  finished.  All  bookshelves  and  shelves  in  club  room  and  stage 
cupboards  made  adjustable. 

Hardware: 

Contractor  will  furnish  all  structural  and  finishing  hardware,  the  latter  to  cost  Two 
Hundred  and  Fifty  Dollars  ($250.00)  for  the  building  and  to  be  selected  by  the  Architects. 

Slidino-  door  hangers  will  be  furnished  by  Contractor  and  can  be  of  any  good  make 
satisfactory  to  the  Architects. 

Woodstone  : 

Inside  face  of  all  shower  rooms  will  be  covered  with  woodstone,  connected  to  cement 
floor  and  left  in  water  tight  condition.  The  backs  and  side  of  walls  around  basins  and 
urinal  to  height  of  5'  0"  will  also  be  covered  with  woodstone. 

Skylight: 

Will  be  as  shown,  built  with  metal  frame  of  No.  26  galvanized  iron  with  iron  bar 
stiffening,  anti-drip  bars  and  wire  glass;    all  properly  flashed. 

PLUMBING  AND  GAS  FITTING 

(Read  General  Conditions) 
Fixtures: 

In  the  various  apartments  furnish  and  set  up  the  following  fixtures: 

Clinic  Room: 

One  Douglas  "Gloria"  low  down  combination  water  closet,  complete  as  shown  by 
plate  No.  15  D,  with  natural  oak  woodwork. 


LOS    AXGEKKS    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS  L53 

One  '2()"x:5()"  Standard  P-1200  roll  rim  enameled  cast  iron  sink,  with  .back  in  one 
piece)  supported  on  concealed  wall  bangers,  with  combination  plug  ami  strainer,  Fuller 
adjustable  flange  bibbs,  concealed  galvanized  air  chambers  and  X.  I'.  brass  P.  trap,  vented 
in  the  rough. 

Gihls'  Toilet  Room: 

One  Standard  "Ortho"  Lavatory,  P-553,  with  slab,  "D"  pattern  bowl,  hack  and  over- 
flow in  one  piece,  with  Standard  Torrance  pattern  X.  1'.  brass  Fuller  faucet,  with  china 
handle  and  index  P-651.  with  X.  P.  brass  supplies,  supported  on  concealed  hangers,  with 
X.  I'.  brass  P.  trap,  vented  in  the  rough,  with  waste  plug  coupling  and  rubber  stopper  com- 
plete (*plate  P  .V>:;  i.  lavatory  to  lie  enameled  all  over. 

Three  Douglas  "Reliance"  low  down  combination  water  closets  with  natural  oak  wood- 
work and  extra  heavy  "Clinto"  ware  syphon  jet  bowl  complete  with  flush  connection  and 
X.  P.  brass  supply  as  shown  by  *plate  97  D. 

Girls'  Shower  Room: 

Three  showers  of  the  rain  hath  type  with  5"  removable  face,  adjustable  hall  joint  and 
combination  valve  with  \"  mixing  column,  V  supplies  and  controlling  valve  with  detachable 
key  on  mixing  column.  Bach  shower  to  be  fitted  with  Speakmans  Anti-Scalding  mixing 
shower  valves. 

Shower  stall  to  have  outlets  in  gutters  as  shown  through  brass  combination  floor  drain 
and  trap  of  approved  design  with  detachable  strainers  and  be  connected  to  soil  pipe  by 
2"  wastes. 

Boys'  Toilet  Room: 

Three  closets  same  as  noted  above  for  girls'  toilet,  and  one  5'  0"  urinal  trough  complete 
as  per  plate  1651  Standard  Catalogue  P. 

Boys'  Shower  Room: 

To  have  six  showers  same  as  noted  for  girls'  shower,  except  to  omit  the  adjustable  ball 
joint,  floor  to  have  outlet  same  as  noted  for  girls'  shower. 

Detached  Lavatories: 

One  outside  of  boys'  toilet  and  one  outside  of  girls'  toilet  same  as  noted  for  girls' 
toilet,  and  one  in  hall  near  boys'  toilet  will  be  the  "Chelsea"  corner  lavatory,  complete  as 
per  plate  555  P,  with  fittings  same  as  noted  above  for  other  lavatories. 

Main  Story  Kitchen: 

One  Standard  "20"  x  30"  flat  rim  sink,  enameled  inside,  with  faucets,  fittings,  trap,  etc., 
complete  as  specified  for  clinic  room. 

Main  Story  Bath: 

One  "Gloria"  combination  water  closet  as  specified  for  clinic  room. 

One  Standard  "Ortho"  lavatory  P-553,  as  specified  for  girls'  toilet. 

One  Standard  "Ionian"  bath  tub  P-147,  Xo.  2,  zinc  white  finish  outside,  with  Standard 
Fuller  double  bath  cock  No.  4£,  offset  supply  pipes  and  connected  waste  and  overflow,  all 
X.  P.  brass  and  rubber  stopper  (P-304).     Tub  to  be  5' 0"  long. 

All  supplies  to  have  valves  at  each  fixture. 

Piping: 

Owner  will  bring  -2"  water  service  to  within  10'  0"  of  house  line  near  closet  under  office 
stairs. 

Contractor  will  take  1£"  pipe  from  this  to  house  and  put  shut-off  in  closet,  and  then 
run  on  with  IV'  pipe  to  boys'  shower  room,  from  which  take  1"  pipe  to  each  group  of  showers 
and  |"  pipe  to  each  other  group  of  fixtures. 

Detached  fixtures,  except  showers,  may  he  supplied  with  V'  pipe,  individual  showers  \". 

There  will  be  no  water  heater  installed,  but  hot  water  piping  will  he  carried  from 
point  marked  "Heater"  in  work  room  to  all  showers  and  to  tub  and  basin  in  bath  rooms 
and  to  kitchen  and  clinic  sinks. 

Same  regulations  as  to  size  of  pipes  for  hot  water  as  for  cold. 

All  supply  pipes  to  be  of  standard  wrought  galvanized  iron,  with  galvanized  fittings, 
except  that  all  piping  of  shower  fixtures — that  is,  all  pipe  exposed  to  view  in  shower  rooms — 
will  be  nickel,  and  all  supply  fitting  at  fixtures  will  be  nickel. 


*Xot  illustrated  in  this  volume. 


L54  I»L.\Y(iHOr\I)    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

All  soil  and  waste  pipes  to  he  of  standard  cast  or  wrought  iron,  dipped  in  asphaltum 
(no  wrought  pipe  larger  than  2"),  the  joints  in  east  pipe  well  yarned,  run  with  lead  and 
caulked. 

Connect  the  main  soil  pipe  with  the  cesspool  where  shown  by  5"  vitrified  sewer  pipe 
laid  with  uniform  grade  with  no  pockets,  the  joints  properly  cemented  and  left  uncovered 
until  inspected  by  the  Architects,  as  well  as  the  Plumbing  Inspector. 

All  changes  in  direction  of  waste  pipe  will  have  V's  with  screw  caps,  and  change  in  di- 
rection of  sewer  will  have  Y's  plugged  with  cement. 

Trap  all  fixtures  with  traps  most  suitable  for  the  locations  where  not  specially  provided 
heretofore.     All  traps  to  have  trap  screws. 

Back  vent  all  traps  and  run  all  soil,  waste  and  vent  pipes  in  strict  accordance  with  the 
.sanitary  rules  governing  such  work  in  the  City  of  Los  Angeles. 

The  Plumber  must  present  to  the  Architects  the  certificates  of  the  Plumbing  Inspector 
before  the  work  will  be  finally  accepted. 

All  piping  to  be  run  in  such  manner  as  not  to  interfere  with  head  room  in  basement 
or  with  the  structural  qualities  of  the  building  at  any  point.  No  joists  must  be  cut,  notched 
or  bored  at  a  greater  distance  than  one  foot  from  its  bearing  unless  the  approval  of  the 
Superintendent  is  obtained  before  so  cutting,  and  the  Plumber  shall  confer  with  the  Archi- 
tects or  Superintendent  as  to  the  most  desirable  runs  for  pipes. 

Stand  Pipes: 

Plumber  will  run  from  the  2"  pipe  outside  of  building  a  l%"  pipe  direct  to  points  marked 
"F.  H.,"  one  in  each  story — no  branches  to  any  other  points,  and  at  each  one  furnish  and 
put  up  complete  with  valves  Howard  Swinging  Hose  Racks  or  equivalent  (Fig.  8,  Cat. 
1904),  with  fifty  feet  of  hose  to  each  outlet.  All  hose  to  be  No.  1  Underwriters'  linen  hose 
\\",  and  each  outlet  to  have  a  suitable  brass  nozzle. 

Hose  racks  painted. 

Gas  Fitting: 

Pipe  the  building  for  fuel  gas  where  shown  on  plans  and  cap  them  for  future  connection. 

Pipe  sizes  and  fittings  to  be  in  conformity  with  the  City  rules  and  regulations.  A  certifi- 
cate from  the  City  Gas  Inspector  will  be  required  by  the  Architects  before  final  acceptance. 

All  conditions  as  to  running  of  piping  and  cutting  of  joists,  etc.,  as  noted  for  Plumbing 
shall  apply  to  Gas  Fitting. 

PAINTING 

{Read  General  Conditions) 
Exterior  Work: 

The  surfaced  casings  of  main  story  and  porch  rails,  etc.,  and  outside  of  all  sash  and 
doors,  except  main  entrance  to  auditorium,  are  painted  a  primer  and  two  coats  lead  and 
oil  paint. 

The  first  story  casings  and  timber  effect,  and  all  eaves,  rafters,  timbers,  etc.,  are  rough 
and  will  be  given  two  coats  oil  stain,  except  eaves  soffits  can  have  one  coat  only. 

The  shake  walls  and  shingle  roofs  one  heavy  coat  oil  stain;  canvas  floor  of  front  terrace 
over  clinic  room  and  all  wood  platforms  and  steps  will  have  two  coats  lead  and  oil  paint. 

Interior  Work:     (Main  Story) 

The  entire  wall  and  ceiling  surface  of  interior  of  main  floor  is  surfaced  wood,  and  all 
timber  and  finish  up  to  under  side  of  trusses  surfaced,  and  all  timber  above  under  side  of 
trusses,  rough. 

The  boarding  will  have  one  coat  of  oil  with  light  stain,  and  all  timber  work  and  trim 
will  have  one  coat  of  darker  oil  stain. 

Floors: 

Floor  of  auditorium  is  maple  and  stage,  office  and  club  rooms  O.  P.,  given  one  coat 
of  suitable  filler  and  one  coat  white  shellac. 

Floor  of  bath  room  will  be  painted  two  coats. 

Ground  Floor: 

There  will  be  no  finish  in  work  room,  and  no  finish  on  any  of  the  ceilings  of  ground  floor. 

The  walls  of  bowling  alleys  and  hall  and  clinic  and  boys'  dressing  room  treated  same 
as  noted  for  main  story. 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS  1  ■">■"> 

The  walls  of  hoys'  and  girls'  toilet  rooms,  and  girls'  dressing  room,  boys'  and  girls' 

shower  rooms,  except  the  woodstone  on  walls,  will  be  given  one  thin  coat  of  paint,  one  coat 
of  shellac  and  two  coats  paint  and  one  coat  of  enamel. 

General  Directions: 

Clean  all  spots  from  glass,  hardware  and  floors. 

All  inside  and  outside  work  cleaned  free  from  dust  before  applying  any  coat  of  finish. 

All  work,  inside  and  outside,  puttied  with  putty,  colored  to  match  stain. 


I 


ELECTRIC  WIRING 

Wire  the  building  throughout  for  electric  lights  with  outlets  located  where  marked  on 
plans  _0— ,  and  with  capacity  for  the  number  of  16-candle  power  lamps  marked  at  outlets. 
Materials  and  workmanship  must  conform  to  the  rules  of  the  N.  B.  of  F.  U.  and  the  City 
Ordinances  governing  electric  work. 

Location  of  Switches: 

Switches  to  he  located  where  shown  on  drawings.  In  certain  cases  the  lights  con- 
trolled by  switches  are  connected  by  dotted  lines. 

First  Floor: 

Main  entrance,  from  switchboard  in  closet  of  office. 

Auditorium,  each  pair  of  outlets  in  each  bay  between  trusses  and  ceiling  lights  of 

stage  by  a  switch  at  switchboard.     (4  switches). 

Sta^e  footlights,  each  receptacle  by  a  switch  at  switchboard. 

Border  lights,  alternate  lights  (two  circuits)  by  switches  at  switchboard. 
Office,  switch  at  door  near  stairs. 

Club  rooms,  switches  (two  to  each  room)  located  near  doors  where  shown  on  plan. 
Landing  (Outside),  between  auditorium  and  kitchen,  from  point  inside  auditorium 

entrance  door. 

Basement: 

Entrances  to  clinic  room,  both  by  one  switch  near  entrance  door. 

Clinic  room,  ceiling  lights  by  switch  near  entrance  door. 

Workshop,  two  switches,  one  at  outside  entrance  door,  the  other  at  bowling  alley 
entrance. 

Bowling  alley,  two  switches  in  cupboard  under  stair,  one  for  alley  lights,  the  other 
for  those  in  lobby  portion.  Light  at  runway  of  alley  by  switch  at  outside  en- 
trance door. 

( rirls'  dressing  room  and  toilet,  switch  in  closet  off  of  corridor. 

(  orridor  light,  same  location. 

Bovs'  dressing  room,  showers  and  toilet,  same  location. 

Light  at  outside  side  entrances  to  basement  by  switches  inside  entrance  door-. 

Lights  at  head  and  foot  of  main  stairs,  three-way  -witches  at  basement  entrance 
and  near  head  of  stairway. 

Wire: 

All  wire  supplying  current  to  lights  to  be  of  the  best  drawn  copper  not  less  than  97 
per  cent  conductivity.     Insulations  to  be  Roebling  White  ('ore. 

Wires  to  be  of  ample  size  to  carry  current  without  heating  and  to  conform  to  N.  B.  of 
F.  U.,  allowing  a  drop  of  not  more  than  \  of  1  per  cent  on  all  circuits,  and  no  wire  shall 
be  less  than  No.  14  B.   &  S.  gauge,  and  any  over  No.  8  will  he  stranded. 

Feed  Wires: 

Run  in  feed  wires  from  point  outside  to  meter  under  main  stairs,  where  provide  a  three 
point  gravity  throw  knife  switch  of  ample  capacity  for  all  current  in  building,  and  also 
cut-out  forward  of  same.  From  there  continue  feci  wires  to  the  switchboard,  providing 
cut-outs  on  each  circuit.  All  these  feed  wire-  to  he  three  wire,  thoroughly  sweated  into  lugs 
at  main  switch. 

Switches: 

Wall  switches  to  be  Diamond  II.  flush  push  button  switches. 

Switches  for  lights  controlled  from  switchboard  will  be  throw  knife  switches  of  best 
qualitv.    Where  two  or  more  switches  come  together  use  gang  plates. 

All  switches  to  be  provided  with  iron  switch   boxes  firmly  set  in  position. 


L56 


IM.AYGHOl'NI)    TKCIINIQUE    AM)    PLAYCRAFT 


Switches  to  correspond  in  finish  with  other  hardware. 

Where   shown,    provide   two   Diamond   II.   flush   wall   receptacles  at  sides  of  stage  for 
portable  footlights. 

Provide  complete  ;i  •-!•">  ampere  Lane,  Bryant,  or  other  make  approved  by  Architects, 
Stereoptican  receptacle  on  tie  beam  of  truss  where  noted  on  first  floor  plan.     Wire  to  th 
outlet  from  switchboard  and  control  with  knife  throw  switch  at  switchboard.     Wiring  f 
this   outlet    to  comply   with   City   Ordinances. 


this 
or 


Sv»  itchboard: 

In  closet  of  office  set  up  a  switchboard,  with  slate  or  Catalina  marble  back  and  sides, 
sill  and  top  of  sufficient  size  to  readily  accommodate  the  main  feed  switch  and  all  switches 
ami  fuses  for  other  circuits. 

Enclose  switchboard  with  glass  panel  door,  fitted  with  cylinder  lock  and  three  keys. 
Electric  Contractor  to  pay  for  casing  in  this  opening,  hanging  of  doors,  etc. 

All  bus  bars  and  other  metal  work  to  be  fully  finished. 

Circuits: 

No  branch  circuit  shall  control  more  than  10  lights.  The  wires  generally  to  run  in 
O.  P.  moldings,  well  shellaced  and  neatly  placed  so  as  not  to  disfigure  the  wood  in  any 
way,  and  cleaned  off  ready  for  painter. 

Meter: 

Locate  meter  under  main  entrance  stairs  at  side. 

Permits: 

Contractor  to  pay  for  anil  procure  permit  and  inspection  certificates  from  City  Electri- 
cian before  Architects'  certificates  will  be  issued. 

D.     Los  Angeles  Playground  Apparatus.     (Home  Made.) 

1.     Swings  at  Violet  Street  Playground,  11'  and  14'. 
Length  42'. 
Spread  20'. 
All  galvanized  pipe. 
Uprights  8". 
Braces  2". 
Set  on  cement  by  bolted  flanges. 

Photograph  and  figures  by  C.  B.  Raitt. 


;  SWINGS    AT   VIOLET   STREET   PLAYGROUND 
Los  Angeles 


LOS    ANGELES    PLAYGROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS 


157 


OUTDOOR    COMBINATION    GYMNASIUM 
Los  Angeles 

2.     Style  of  Outdoor  Combination  Gymnasium  at  Vacation  Grounds. 
Contains 

2  inclined  ladders,  2"  galvanized  pipe. 

2  sets  inclined  chutes,  -2"  galvanized  pipe. 

1  steel  core  horizontal  bar. 

1  swing. 

1  pair  flying  rings. 

Cost  erected,  $160.00. 

Photograph  and  figures  by  C.  B.  Raitt. 

8.     Outdoor  Gymnasium  at  Echo  Park  Playground. 

( 'ost : 

All  galvanized  pipe  (3"),  ladder  2"  pipe: 

Pipe  tor  frame  work $4.3.5.00 

Ladders,  chutes,  etc 175.00 

Tan  bark 395.00 

Su  inging  apparatus: 

Flying  rings,  traveling  rings,  horizontal  bars,  rope  ladder         135.00 

Erection  complete $1,175.00 

Size  of  gymnasium  frame,  40'  x  00'  x  14'. 
Size  of  the  tan  bark  area.  12'  x  50'  x  70'. 

Photograph  ami  figures  by  ('.  P.  Raitt. 

4.     Teeter  Ladder. 

Frame,  of  ->\"  galvanized  pipe. 
Braces,  I"  pipe- 

Height  S'. 

Width  2'. 

Rectangle  base,  '■2'  x  12'. 

Ladder  part,  hickory. 

(  <»t  complete.  $35.00. 


l.-,s 


l'l.AVCHOUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


OUTDOOR   GYMNASIUM    AT    ECHO    PARK   PLAYGROUND 

Los  Angeles 


TEETER    LADDER 
Los  Angeles 


PART  IV 

THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  CONSTRUCTIVE  PLAY 


CHAPTER  XIX 

The   Place   of   Constructive    Play   in   the   Development  of  the 

Individual  and  the  Race  as  Contrasted  with 

Athletic  and  Social  Play 

By  Arthur  Leland,  B.P.E. 

A.     Value  of  Two  Types  of  Play 

1.  Athletic  and  Social  Play.  Athletic  and  social  plays  have  to 
do  lanjelv  with  the  relation  of  man  to  his  fellows,  and  conditions  of  livgiene. 
We  do  not  think  that  their  importance  has  been  over-estimated,  but  we 
think  that  the  place  which  constructive  play  holds  has  been  under-esti- 
mated. Under  the  term  constructive  play  we  have  arbitrarily  included  the 
relations  of  child  to  nature,  and  to  inanimate  objects  and  animals  other  than 
the  human  kind. 

2.  Constructive  Team  Play.  We  see  no  reason  why  constructive 
play  should  not  contribute  as  much  to  the  loyalty  of  the  individual  to  the 
crowd,  to  the  gang,  and  to  the  nation  as  has  been  claimed  for  team  games. 
Team  play  in  construction  strikes  us  as  being  infinitely  more  valuable 
than  team  play  in  war;  the  citizen  who  saves  lives  for  his  country  is  a  greater 
patriot  than  the  one  who  destroys. 

3.  Intelligence  Developed  Through  Weakness.  Biologists 
sav  that  man's  intellect  has  been  created  bv  his  hands,  and  that  the  training: 
of  the  hand  has  been  due  to  necessity.  It  is  well  stated  that  necessity  is 
the  mother  of  invention.  Ages  and  ages  ago  there  was  an  insignificant 
animal,  helpless,  unprotected.  It  had  no  shell  like  the  turtle  or  clam;  it 
had  no  claws  like  the  cat  or  tiger;  it  had  no  horns  like  the  cow;  it  could  not 
run  like  the  horse;  so  being  made  unable  to  protect  itself  by  any  of  these 
means  it  did  just  what  we  would  do  under  similar  circumstances,  when 
pursued  it  took  to  the  trees.  After  living  in  trees  for  awhile  it  found  that 
by  taking  a  stick  it  could  knock  over  a  few  weak  things,  like  rabbits  or  birds. 
Some  time  seeing  a  cocoanut  drop  down  it  imitated  the  force  of  Nature, 
then  it  learned  to  throw  rocks,  finally  to  use  stones  for  digging  the  soil. 
It  is  doubtful  if  any  of  these  lessons  were  ever  learned  without  a  life  and 
death  struggle. 

The  human  race  is  what  it  is  today  on  account  of  weakness.  The  clam 
and  the  turtle  got  inside  their  shells  and  there  they  are  today.  The  cat 
could  get  its  living  easily  and  protect  itself  from  enemies  with  its  sharp 

160 


CONSTRUCTIVE    PLAY    IN   INDIVIDUAL   AND    RACE    DEVELOPMENT      161 


'LET   THE    CHILDREN    HELP    PUT    UP   SWINGS' 
Reward  the  helpers  with  first  swing 


claws  and  it  has  never  advanced.  The  horse  and  the  cow  had  an  easy 
time  and  they  are  working  for  us  now.  Through  necessity,  experiment, 
and  invention,  the  human  race  has  advanced. 

The  systems  or  persons  who  deny  to  the  child  the  chance  and  method 
of  doing  for  himself  what  the  race  has  done  for  itself  is  robbing  him  of  his 
birthright. 

Education  at  the  call  of  necessity  alone,  however,  is  too  expensive. 
Nature  shows  this  to  us  when  she  gives  us  the  receptiveness  of  childhood, 
but  to  produce  the  best  results  in  play  education  Nature's  methods  of 
necessity  must  in  a  large  measure  be  followed.  Safe  ideals  may  be  in- 
stilled through  play,  and  the  child  should  be  supplied  with  safe  opportuni- 
ties for  self  education. 


4.  Stones  for  Bread.  When  we  give  the  child  ready-made  things, 
ready-made  toys,  ready-made  playground  apparatus,  ready-made  play- 
grounds, which  he  could  make  himself  and  in  so  doing  receive  valuable 
training  we  give  him  stones  instead  of  bread.     The  instinct  to  play  with 


162  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

things  was  given  the  child  to  stimulate  him  l<>  make  the  things  he  plays 
with.  When  these  things  are  supplied  to  him  without  effori  his  play  comes 
too  easy,  and  becomes  a  demoralizing  influence. 

.).     Children  Should  Make  Their  Own  Toys.     It  is  probably 

much  cheaper  and  easier  to  furnish  the  child  with  ready-made  playthings, 
but  they  do  not  have  the  educational  value  which  would  obtain  if  the  child 
were  given  material  for  making  his  playthings  with  either  instruction  in  the 
methods,  or  opportunities  whereby  he  could  learn  to  make  his  own  play 
materials.  Toys  have  a  place  we  suppose,  as  they  have  always  been  used, 
but  thev  should  serve  as  models  for  imitation  and  inspiration  rather  than 
as  "sops"  with  which  to  satisfy  the  play  instinct. 

6.  Constructive  Play  in  Education.  With  regard  to  the  educa- 
tional value  of  constructive  play,  Mr.  Harry  Leland,  Supervisor  of  Manual 
Training  at  Leominster,  Mass.,  says: 

"The  gigantic  strides  that  normal  training  and  industrial  education 
have  made  during  the  past  five  years,  only  show  the  high  value  that  con- 
structive work  and  play  fills  in  our  national  educational  system.  The  idea 
of  creative  and  constructive  play  permeates  all  our  elementary  and  juvenile 
educational  work,  and  the  actual  '  doing  of  things,'  is  rapidly  spreading 
through  our  national  life. 

"Athletic  and  social  plays  have  a  definite  and  recognized  value,  but  if 
we  as  a  nation  wish  to  compete  in  the  markets  of  the  world  we  must  teach 
our  children  to  recognize  the  pleasure  and  value  in  honest  constructive  work 
and  play.  It  we  really  enjoy  what  we  are  doing  and  if  it  has  a  recognized 
value  for  good  it  matters  but  little  whether  we  call  it  work  or  play.  The 
constructive  work  and  play  now  being  offered  to  the  children  (and  grown- 
ups) of  this  country  will  in  time  put  this  nation  at  the  front  for  its  manufac- 
tured products;  it  will  develop  a  higher  moral  and  social  character  in  those 
brought  in  contact  with  it;  it  will  increase  the  efficiency,  earning  capacity, 
social  standing,  and  self-respect  of  the  worker." 

Nations  cannot  spend  all  their  time  fighting  or  governing.  Neither 
should  children  spend  all  their  time  playing  games  which  develop  only  the 
qualities  used  in  fighting  and  governing.  Not  that  we  would  have  these 
qualities  under-developed  but  that  we  would  have  the  other  qualities  de- 
veloped more.  "Blessed  are  the  peacemakers  for  they  shall  inherit  the 
earth." 

The  aristocratic  business  of  England  is  politics  and  ruling  subject 
races.  Their  system  of  athletics  and  games  seems  to  give  the  best  training 
for  this.  The  brains  of  America  are  engaged  in  business,  building  rail- 
roads, inventing  machines,  etc.,  advancing  the  arts  of  peace. 

England  seems  to  be  losing  her  place  somewhat  in  the  markets  of  the 
nations.     Germany  and  America  are  both  crowding  English  goods  out. 


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164  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

A  system  of  education  therefore  for  America  must  be  based  upon  the 
education  of  constructive  ability.  We  must  have  team  play  in  manufactur- 
ing and  the  beginnings  of  this  must  be  made  in  childhood.  Making  things 
for  the  playground  and  working  together  in  gangs  for  the  playground  with 
one  of  the  playground  children  elected  as  leader  will  bring  about  this  cooper- 
ation in  work  quicker  than  any  other  method.  The  foundation  for  all 
mechanical  genius  is  laid  in  childhood  through  constructive  play.  Our 
greatest  men  have  been  interested  in  nature,  horses,  animals,  and  things 
mechanical  as  much  as  in  athletics  and  games. 

B.     Franklin  an  Example  of  Play  Education 

Perhaps  the  man  who  has  had  the  greatest  influence  upon  American 
life  is  Franklin.  His  name  was  more  familiar  to  Europeans  and  in  his  own 
country  as  familiar  as  Washington's.  ^Francis  Newton  Thorpe  says,  "He 
became  a  wise  man  by  teaching  himself.  His  records  of  the  process  of  his 
self-culture  remain  the  maxims  of  a  world  experience.  .  .  .  His  unselfish- 
ness was  of  a  kind  that  we  see  in  trees  and  plants,  which  fruit  in  due 
season  with  no  thought  of  making  the  human  race  their  debtors.  .  .  .  He 
tells  us  that  '  he  was  born  and  bred  in  poverty  and  obscurity,  from  which 
he  emerged  to  a  state  of  affluence  and  some  degree  of  reputation  in  the 
world,  and  that  he  went  through  life  in  a  considerable  share  of  felicity.' 
.  .  .  He  was  not  sent  to  college,  because  his  father  considered  a  college 
education  too  expensive;  'the  mean  living  many  so  educated  were  after- 
wards able  to  obtain'  was  a  sufficient  reason  to  the  elder  Franklin  that 
worldly  success  was  not  surely  to  be  won  after  so  great  an  expense. 

1.  Franklin's  Childhood  Training.  "Franklin,  speaking  of  his 
father's  method  of  training  said  that  his  father  at  his  table  liked  to  have 
as  often  as  he  could,  some  sensible  friend  or  neighbor  to  converse  with, 
and  always  took  care  to  start  some  ingenious  or  useful  topic  for  discourse, 
which  might  tend  to  improve  the  minds  of  his  children.  By  this  means  he 
turned  their  attention  to  what  was  good,  just  and  prudent  in  the  conduct  of 
life.  This  insight  into  his  childhood  shows  how  earlv  in  life  his  mind  was 
impressed  with  the  paramount  importance  of  things  ingenious  or  useful, 
and  to  the  end,  he  judged  of  the  value  of  men's  labor  by  their  usefulness  to 
mankind. 

'When  it  was  to  be  decided  to  what  employment  he  should  be  put,  his 
father  sought  a  practical  solution  of  the  problem  by  taking  him  to  walk 
with  him  'to  see  joiners,  brick-layers,  turners,  braziers,  etc.,  at  their  work, 
that  he  might  observe  my  inclination  and  endeavor  to  fix  it  upon  some  trade 
or  profession  that  would  keep  me  on  land.  It  has  ever  since  been  a  pleasure 
to  me  to  see  good  workmen  handle  their  tools,  and  it  has  often  been  useful 
to  me  to  have  learnt  so  much  by  it,  as  to  be  able  to  do  some  trifling  jobs  in 


♦Report  of  Commissioner  of  Education,  1903,  page  91. 


CONSTRUCTIVE    PLAY    IN    INDIVIDUAL   AND    RACE    DEVELOPMENT       165 

the  house,  when  a  workman  could  not  readily  be  got,  and  to  construct  little 
machines  for  my  experiments  while  the  intention  of  making  the  experi- 
ment was  still  warm  in  my  mind.' 


2.  Practice  Not  Theory.  "He  was  himself  a  close  observer,  and 
like  all  great  men  who  have  advanced  science,  he  made  his  observations 
with  the  assistance  of  simple  and  inexpensive  instruments.  .  .  .  He  knew 
nothing  of  elaborate  physical  apparatus;  Nature  was  his  laboratory,  obser- 
vation and  experience  his  teachers,  and  he  relied  upon  these  as  the  best 
means  for  the  education  of  others.  Ambition  stimulated  him  to  rain  knowl- 
edge  and  he  reasoned  that  it  would  stimulate  others.  .  .  .  He  saw  in 
industry  and  business  the  chief  oc- 
cupation of  the  mass  of  the  people. 
Schools,  he  thought,  should  contribute 
to  the  advantage  of  this  industry  and 
this  business.  He  would  make  tran- 
sition from  school  life  to  the  life  of 
business  easy  and  natural." 

"'It  wras  Franklin,'  says  one  of 
his  biographers, '  who  chiefly  educated 
the  colonists  in  a  knowledge  of  their 
rights.'  " 


3.  The  Play  School.  The  play 
school  as  developed  by  Dr.  Johnson  at 
Andover,  the  vacation  school  and  play- 
ground, and  the  kindergarten  have  been 
the  most  active  factors  in  influencing 
present  educational  ideals  towards 
those  which  Franklin  held.  The  vaca- 
tion schools  and  playgrounds  in  charge 
of  the  Massachusetts  Civic  League 
used  to  take  the  boys  around  to  visit 
various  city  industries. 


carpentry  at  social  center 

Philadelphia 


4.     The    Aim   of  the    Play- 
ground.    When  the  work  of  mankind 

leaves  the  home  because  it  can  be  done  more  economically  in  the  work- 
shop, the  necessity  of  special  play  education  and  specific  instruction  is 
ushered  in. 

Denied  the  privilege  of  observing  adults  at  their  best,  in  constructive 
effort  under  discipline,  the  child  must  base  his  play  upon  the  object  les- 


1G()  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLATCRAFT 

sons  furnished  "gratis"  by  Life's  Loafers  and  Vampires  and  the  doings 
of  adults  during  their  periods  of  relaxation  when  restraints  are  thrown 
aside. 

The  playground  aims  to  counteract  these  evil  influences  already  hard 
at  work,  and  to  provide  for  both  child  and  adult  an  antidote  to  the  disin- 
tegrating, diseducational  and  demoralizing  effect  of  necessary  specializa- 
tion. Hence  the  need  of  public  moral  cleanliness  and  provisions  for  moral 
object  lessons  actively  applied  to  fill  up  these  "youthful  knowledge  seek- 
ers," so  that  the  lessons  of  the  stables,  the  alley,  the  gutter,  the  saloon 
and  brothel  will  find  no  place  empty  waiting  to  be  filled.  Play  seems  the 
best  method  of  applying  some  of  these  precepts. 


PART  V 

THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  CONSTRUCTIVE  PLAY 


CHAPTER  XX 

Playground  Manual  Training 

A.     Industrial  "Work  Recommended  by  Committee  on  Normal 

Course  of  Play 

This  should  include  sewing,  raffia,  crocheting  and  basketry.  The 
different  stitches  in  sewing  and  crocheting  and  the  different  forms  of  weav- 
ing in  basketry  and  raffia  should  be  shown  with  the  materials  and  practiced 
and  learned  by  the  students.  Rope  splicing,  carpentry,  whittling  and  kite 
making  are  sometimes  pursued  by  the  boys. 

1 .  The  children  should  do  as  much  of  the  practical  work  as  possible. 
If  the  boys  help  to  clear  the  ground  and  make  the  ball  diamonds  and  running 
tracks,  and  the  girls  make  the  baby  hammocks,  and  bases  for  baseball, 
covers  for  tether  balls,  bean  bags  and  their  own  aprons  and  bloomers, 
the  work  will  be  interesting  in  itself,  and  will  increase  their  loyalty  to  the 
playground. 

2.  Basket  work,  raffia  and  worsteds.  Older  girls  are  very  fond  of 
these  and  it  always  pleases  the  parents. 

Whittling,  rope  splicing  and  kite  flying  for  boys. 

(a)  The  director  should  not  give  out  material  without  instruction 
how  to  use  it. 

(b)  He  should  not  give  out  material  for  the  children  to  take  home. 

(c)  He  should  not  give  out  material  to  be  carried  around  the  play- 
ground. 

(d)  See  that  the  children  finish  what  they  begin. 

(e)  Have  the  children  furnish  the  material  for  the  larger  pieces,  and 
allow  them  to  keep  it. 

Note. — The  better  pieces  of  work  find  a  ready  sale,  and  in  some  cities 
there  is  a  practice  of  having  a  fair  at  the  end  of  the  season  and  disposing  of 
the  objects  made.  The  proceeds  go  either  to  the  children,  to  the  play- 
ground, or  are  divided  between  them. 

The  consensus  of  opinion  at  the  Conference  of  Kindergartners  at  the 
Second  Playground  Congress  was :  "  The  materials  used  by  the  younger  chil- 
dren should  be  those  which  lead  to  the  larger  activities,  such  as:  standard 
materials — blocks,  light  boards,  sand,  clay,  shells;  natural  materials,  mis- 
cellaneous constructive  materials — boxes,  spools,  twigs,  wood,  cardboard, 
heavy  paper,  and  such  necessary  tools  as  scissors,  hammers,  glue,  nails,  etc.; 
toys — balls  (large  and  small),  pails,  shovels,  wagons,  wheelbarrows,  ani- 
mals, dolls,  dishes,  ropes,  brooms." 

168 


a 


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s 
n. 


169 


17(1  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAPT 

B.     Constructive  V\.w  Activities  op  Children  of  Different  Ages 

By  Harry  W.  Leland,  B.S., 
Supervisor  of  Manual  Training,  Leominster,  Mass. 

Bight  to  eleven  years — Wooden  swords,  knives,  daggers,  windmills. 
water  wheels,  wind  vanes,  boats,  toy  furniture,  kites,  tepees  and  wigwams. 

Eleven  to  fourteen  years — animal  houses  and  cages,  stilts,  see-saws, 
skees,  toboggans,  sleds  and  guns. 

Fourteen  years  or  older — gymnastic  apparatus,  furniture,  simple 
house  or  camp  construction. 

Construction  work  suitable  for  children  is  given  in  "American  Boy 
Hand  Book,"  Dan  Beard;  "Manual  Training  Magazine;"  "School  Arts 
Book;"  "  Woodworking  for  Beginners,"  by  C.  G.  Wheeler. 

For  others  see  Bibliography  and  Dr.  Johnson's  list  in  "  Education  by 
Plays  and  Games." 

C.     ^Athletics  and  Manual  Training  Correlated 

Physical  training  and  manual  training  may  be  correlated  through  con- 
structive play.  Children  skould  work  for  their  play.  The  "  Official "  bats, 
balls  and  other  equipment  used  for  school  and  playground  games  should  be 
"child  made;"  the  champions,  those  who  make  the  best  goods  and  play  the 
best  game.  Playground  and  school  sports  can  direct  the  dynamic  stream  of 
play  into  the  channels  of  "playcraft"  where  its  force  can  be  accustomed  to 
industrial  uses.  If  money  is  spent  on  materials  and  instructors  to  teach  the 
children  to  make  their  own  play  supplies,  some  temptations  would  be  re- 
moved from  politicians  and  others  who  are  not  in  business  for  their  health; 
and  athletic  sports  would  be  greatly  benefited.  Interest  in  games  would  lead 
to  interest  in  constructive  play  and  vice  versa.  In  Louisville,  whittling 
classes  led  boys  to  take  an  interest  in  athletic  games  who  could  not  have 
been  reached  otherwise. 

D.     The  Playcraft  League 

The  success  of  a  playground  movement  depends  upon  the  closeness 
of  its  relations  with  the  whole  community.  Benjamin  Franklin  used  to  say 
that  the  best  way  to  make  a  friend  was  to  get  him  to  do  something  for 
you.  One  of  the  cardinal  principles  which  is  taught  to  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work- 
ers is  that  they  should  never  do  anything  themselves  which  they  can 
get  one  of  their  members  to  do  because  if  the  member  works  for  the  asso- 
ciation his  interest  will  be  kept.  The  playground  movements  which  are 
successful  are  those  which  have  the  most  people  working  for  them.  No 
one  is  so  ignorant  or  so  downtrodden  but  what  they  can  be  elevated  by 
doing  something  for  someone  else. 

♦This  subject  will  be  elaborated  in  Volume  L. 


PLAYGROUND    MANUAL   TRAINING  171 

We  would  suggest  the  formation  in  each  playground  of  a  Playcraft 
League:  the  object  of  this  league  to  be  to  work  for  the  playground,  in 
some  constructive  way.  In  olden  times  there  were  husking  bees,  house 
raisings,  quilting  bees,  ete.    By  cooperation  good  fellowship  was  secured. 

The  (Jerinan  turners  work  together  for  their  turnverein  in  this  way- 
Perhaps  this  fact  may  account  in  part  for  strength  of  the  movement. 

The  citizens  of  the  town  of  Northboro,  Mass.,  have  instituted  an  annual 
field  day. 

A  park  was  donated  to  the  town  sometime  ago  and  being  unable  to  secure  sufficient 
funds  from  the  town  to  develop  the  park  the  annual  field  day  was  instituted.  When  it 
arrives  so  do  a  goodly  number  of  citizens,  with  their  picks  and  shovels  and  other  implements, 
and  for  a  day  they  labor  with  a  will  toward  the  further  development  of  the  park,  in  the 
center  of  which  is  considerable  of  an  elevation  that  has  been  dignified  by  the  name  of 
'"Mount  Assabet."  There  has  been  much  good  work  done  by  the  citizens,  and  annually 
there  is  made  considerable  improvement.  At  noon  there  is  always  served  a  field  dinner, 
and  the  affair  has  about  it  some  picnic  features,  which  lighten  the  labors  and  give  some- 
what of  a  holiday  aspect  to  the  situation.  The  work  is  done  under  the  direction  of  the 
park  commissioners. — Boston  (Hal),-. 

We  think  this  would  be  an  admirable  way  to  make  a  playground. 
Let  the  children  make  the  apparatus  and  then  have  the  fathers  and  big 
brothers  come  to  put  it  up  and  the  mothers  can  come  and  furnish  the 
luncheon.  Membership  in  the  Playcraft  League  could  depend  upon  doing 
something  for  the  playground. 

The  playgrounds  in  Omaha  were  equipped  by  the  trades  unions 
who  did  all  the  work.  The  merchants  donated  the  materials.  This  could 
be  done  anywhere,  and  it  would  be  a  good  basis  for  the  beginning  of  a  strong 
playground  movement. 

Another  way  in  which  this  league  might  be  valuable  could  be  in  direct- 
ing  the  interests  of  the  boys  towards  various  trades. 

Now,  if  the  playground  could  offer  opportunities  for  the  boys  to  "mon- 
key" around  with  tools  and  if  the  different  trades  union  people  could  come 
in  once  in  awhile  and  show  the  boys  howr  to  use  these  tools  it  ought  to  be  a 
liberal  education.  The  courses  in  manual  training  given  in  the  schools 
tend  to  specialization. 

Through  the  play  interest  of  the  boy  or  the  girl,  the  fundamentals  of 
handling  tools  can  be  learned  so  as  to  give  a  basis  for  intelligent  specializa- 
tion later. 

Whatever  mechanical  ability  the  editor  possesses  was  acquired  in  the 
following  manner: — endowed  by  nature  with  very  strong  play  instincts 
and  not  endowed  with  parents  who  were  in  the  habit  of  satisfying  these 
play  instincts  in  the  ready-made  ordinary  fashion,  by  furnishing  toys  and 
supplies,  it  became  necessary  to  make  the  means  for  enjoying  play.  There 
is  probably  not  a  manufacturing  institution  in  our  native  town  which  we 
have  not  visited  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  information.  The  foundry  was 
visited,  the  work  in  all  departments  copied.  This  was  for  the  purpose 
of  making  a  casting  for  the  head  of  a  camera  tripod.     A  purchased  one 


172  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAPT 

was  seen  as  a  model  and  then  a  little  wooden  pattern  was  whittled  out, 
sand  begged  from  the  foundry,  miniature  molding  tools  improvised  out  of 
pieces  of  brass  and  the  easting  made  of  lead.  Our  remembrance  is  that  it 
didn't  work  very  well,  but  we  learned  foundry  practice.  Now,  if  money 
had  been  available,  we  should  have  purchased  that  tripod.  If  we  wanted 
to  play  baseball,  we  had  to  make  a  ball.  We  wanted  a  horizontal  bar,  and 
cut  a  stick  in  the  woods,  which  we  nailed  up  between  the  woodshed  and 
the  hen  house. 

Some  such  method  as  this  used  in  the  operation  and  construction  of 
playgrounds,  we  should  think  would  be  valuable  as  a  means  of  education. 
Most  boys  do  not  often  have  workshops  with  all  the  necessary  tools;  again, 
there  are  "no  admittance"  signs  on  all  places  where  interesting  industries 
are  carried  on.  The  playground  should  provide  the  means  of  natural 
education,  which  were  open  to  the  boys  who  are  now  men.  It  should  not 
satisfy  all  the  children's  play  instincts  without  effort  on  their  part.  Each 
child  should  have  a  trade  mark  to  put  on  things  he  makes.  The  worker 
and  craftsman  should  receive  the  reward  of  accomplishment. 

A  play  work  shop  would  serve  as  a  center  of  constructive  play  in  the 
neighborhood  and  furnish  the  opportunity  for  artistic  workmen  to  exhibit 
their  skill  and  offer  a  chance  for  children  to  watch  their  elders  at  work. 
Ideals  of  industry  would  thus  be  cultivated  and  opportunity  would  be 
given  for  the  children  to  acquire  education  through  imitation. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

Domestic  Science 

1.  Housekeeping  and  Cooking.  The  Dewitt  Clinton  Park  Play- 
ground in  New  York  has  a  department  which  we  think  is  valuable  enough 
to  be  copied  by  other  cities.  There  is  on  this  playground  a  small  house 
with  conveniences  for  housekeeping,  and  the  children  are  taught  elementary 
domestic  science.  Los  Angeles  has  demonstrated  the  value  of  having  the 
plav  director  live  on  the  ground,  as  his  house  becomes  the  center  of  social 
activity  to  the  neighborhood.  If  on  every  playground  there  could  be  a  play 
home  where  the  children  could  learn  some  of  the  lessons  which  they  will 
be  called  upon  to  practice  when  men  and  women,  the  influence  of  the 
plavground  would  be  greatly  increased.  There  is  much  ignorance  of  the 
most  common  details  of  cooking  and  home  management.  Such  a  course 
should  not  teach  the  children  to  make  "peanut  cookies,"  "Charlotte 
Russe"  or  "angel  food;"  but  it  should  teach  the  elements:  how  to  make 
bread,  how  to  cook  beefsteak  without  making  it  into  leather,  how  to  operate 
and  manage  a  fire  economically,  how  to  purchase  food  supplies,  and  other 
fundamentals  of  domestic  economy  by  play  methods. 

2.  Domestic  Economy.  The  average  wage  of  the  employees  in 
the  various  industries  of  Massachusetts  varies  from  $425  to  $450  per  year. 
The  problem  which  most  of  our  playground  girls  will  meet  is  that  of  sup- 
porting a  family  on  this  income  or  less.  If  any  assistance  can  be  given 
through  play  we  may  rest  assured  that  it  is  badly  needed. 

It  might  be  arranged  so  that  different  girls  could  each  be  appointed 
housekeeper  for  a  certain  length  of  time.  Certain  members  of  the  play- 
ground of  various  ages  might  be  selected  as  the  family.  We  might  have 
"the  baby,"  "little  Johnny"  and  "little  Mary"  play  keeping  house.  A 
certain  amount  of  money  each  week  might  be  apportioned  and  the  girls 
trained  in  the  best  way  to  get  the  most  out  of  it. 

3.  A  Workman's  Model  Home.  The  World's  Work  for  May 
describes  a  safe  and  sanitary  home  for  $1,000.  Such  a  house  as  this  would 
not  be  beyond  the  means  of  most  playground  systems.  It  could  be  made 
an  object  lesson  in  the  community. 

It  is  built  on  the  plan  which  was  awarded  the  gold  medal  by  the  Inter- 
national Tuberculosis  Congress.  Preparations  are  being  made  in  twenty 
cities  for  building  these  houses. 

The  floors  of  the  model  house  are  of  soft  waterproof  material,  slightly 
sloping  to  one  side  with  a  pipe  for  drainage.  There  is  not  a  square  corner 
in  the  house  where  walls  and  floors  intersect.  The  connections  are  rounded 
and  afford  no  lurking  place  for  dust  or  germs. 

173 


174  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE     W"l)    PLAYCRAFT 

Windows  and  door  frames  and  picture  mouldings  will  be  of  metal 
and  set  flush  with  the  walls.  No  paper  on  the  walls;  and  furniture  can  be 
taken  out  and  the  inside  of  the  house  cleaned  with  a  hose. 

A  substantial  sink  is  built  in  the  kitchen  with  water  tight  partitions 
so  that  it  can  be  divided  into  two  tubs  or  left  single  for  a  bath  tub.  A 
small  sheet  iron  sink  for  dish  washing  can  be  attached.  The  combination 
gas  gauge,  stove  and  furnace  is  built  in  the  house.  It  is  protected  on  the 
outside  by  a  cement  jacket  which  prevents  its  overheating  the  kitchen.  Its 
second  purpose  is  to  heat  the  rest  of  the  house.  Between  the  stove  proper 
and  the  cement  jacket  are  air  chambers  from  which  hot  air  is  sent  into 
other  rooms.  The  ashes  from  the  stove  drop  automatically  into  a  pan  which 
may  be  reached  by  the  garbage  man  from  the  outside.  Gas  may  be  used 
instead  of  coal. 

The  ice  chest  also  is  built  into  the  house  with  opening  in  the  back 
part  to  put  ice  in.  In  winter  the  outside  door  is  opened  and  makes  it  into 
a  cold  storage.    It  may  be  washed  with  a  hose. 

The  garbage  can  be  kept  in  a  chamber  in  the  wall  and  may  be  reached 
from  the  outside  or  inside. 

There  are  fireplaces  throughout  the  house. 

The  arrangement  is  such  that  the  smoke  passes  up  a  central  pipe 
which  is  enclosed  in  an  air  chamber.  The  air  in  this  latter  becomes  heated 
from  contact  with  the  hot  pipe  and  rises,  thus  drawing  the  bad  air  from  the 
room.  The  coal  for  all  the  fires  is  hoisted  to  the  roof  by  a  simple  chain 
block  and  dumped  through  a  coal  hole  into  a  large  pocket  from  which  it 
distributes  itself  automatically,  and  the  housewife  feeds  the  fire  by  pulling 
a  lever. 

When  the  molds  are  made,  all  these  conveniences  can  be  had  for 
$1,000. 

The  Standard  Oil  Company  is  going  to  use  this  style  of  house  in  its 
model  town,  Bavonne,  N.  J. 

If  a  home  like  this  could  be  made  on  the  playground,  it  would  not  be 
lon<r  before  other  and  similar  homes  would  be  made  in  the  vicinitv.  With 
such  conveniences  as  these,  housework  could  be  done  in  half  the  time  and 
with  half  the  energy  now  required,  leaving  time  for  play. 

4.  Play  Hygiene.  In  connection  with  the  course  in  domestic 
science  many  of  the  elements  of  hvgiene  as  related  to  the  family  could  be 
taught,  such  as  treatment  for  various  forms  of  filth,  diseases  and  parasites 
to  which  children  are  subject.  First  aid  to  the  injured,  dental  hygiene, 
hygienic  cooking,  the  care  of  the  sick,  the  care  of  babies,  the  rudiments  of 
simple  dressmaking  and  housekeeping  should  all  be  taken  up  from  the 
play  standpoint.  It  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  secure  volunteer  workers 
who  would  take  charge  of  these  activities.  Another  subject,  which  we 
think  comes  well  within  the  domain  of  the  domestic  science  course  on  play 


DOMESTIC   SCIENCE  175 

hygiene  is  the  formation  of  proper  ideals  of  marriage.  Sex  instruction 
should  never  be  given  en  masse,  but  to  individuals,  usually  the  leaders. 
It  requires  very  careful  handling. 

5.  Domestic  Science  in  the  Country  School.  One  of  the  greatest 
causes  of  ill  health  among  children  in  the  country  is  the  practice  of  bolting 
a  hasty  breakfast  and  running  on  the  way  to  school  immediately  afterwards. 
The  schools  are  usually  in  the  center  of  the  village,  so  that  the  children 
are  obliged  to  leave  early  in  order  not  to  be  late.  After  having  bolted  a 
hasty  breakfast,  at  dinner  time  they  eat  a  very  meager  and  inadequate  cold 
lunch,  or  sometimes  they  don't  have  the  appetite  to  eat  anything,  and  then 
go  out  on  the  playground.  This  practice  is  ruinous  to  health.  Some  of 
the  small  towns  of  Massachusetts  have  adopted  a  method  which  seems  to 
work  to  perfection.  The  girls  prepare  the  dinners  every  noon,  each  taking 
turn  as  housekeeper.  The  boys  raise  some  of  the  vegetables  used  in  the 
school  gardens.  The  effect  of  this  upon  the  children's  health  is  immediately 
apparent.  Through  cooperation  the  expense  of  feeding  all  these  children 
cannot  be  much  greater  when  good  warm  dinners  are  furnished  than  it 
would  be  for  each  parent  to  put  up  a  meager  cold  lunch,  the  only  parts  of 
which  the  children  will  eat  are  the  cake  "  and  fixin's." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

Playground  Excursions  and  Camps 
A.     Excursions 

Rochester,  in  1903,  conducted  seven  excursions  from  the  congested 
parts  of  the  city  to  the  parks.    Their  playground  system  originated  this  way. 

The  Chicago  Playground  Association  is  carrying  on  some  interesting 
work  in  getting  large  groups  to  go  for  walking  trips  in  the  country.  A  leader 
is  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  party  which  goes  by  train  to  one  of  the 
suburbs,  and  from  there  walk  for  three  or  four  miles  in  the  open  countrv. 

The  following  general  directions  are  sent  to  those  joining  the  parties: 

"When  taking  the  train  in  Chicago  do  not  buy  tickets.  The  leaders 
of  the  party  will  be  at  the  gate  leading  to  the  train  and  will  give  you  a 
numbered  coupon,  half  of  which  is  to  be  surrendered  to  the  train  conductor. 
On  the  train  or  during  a  halt  in  the  course  of  the  walk  the  leaders  will  collect 
from  each  one  in  the  party  the  amount  indicated  in  this  bulletin,  which 
includes  the  cost  of  a  round-trip  ticket  at  commutation  rates,  plus  a  small 
fee  to  cover  the  cost  of  printing  and  postage.  A  coupon  good  for  the  return 
trip  will  then  be  given  you.  Please  provide  yourself  with  exact  change 
before  starting. 

"  Persons  joining  the  party  at  an  intermediate  station  will  be  given 
coupons  after  they  have  boarded  the  train. 

"Permission  has  been  secured  to  lead  these  parties  on  cross-country 
tramps  through  woods  and  fields.  This  courtesy  on  the  part  of  the  property 
owners  should  be  met  with  equal  courtesy  by  the  trampers. 

"In  large  parties  especial  care  should  be  exercised  to  avoid  doing 
damage  to  fences  and  cultivated  fields.  Flowers  should  not  be  gathered, 
nor  limbs  of  trees  or  shrubs  broken.  Gates  should  be  closed  by  the  last 
member  of  the  party. 

"Anyone  who  may  have  good  photographs  taken  on  any  of  the  walks 
will  please  communicate  with  the  secretaries." 

Buffalo  also  conducts  playground  excursions. 

B.     Poisonous  Plants 

One  of  the  chief  dangers  in  taking  city  children  into  the  countrv  is 
that  of  poisonous  plants.  Children  should  be  taught  never  to  put  any 
branches  or  leaves  in  their  mouths  which  they  do  not  know  are  absolutely 
harmless.  No  berries  should  be  eaten  except  such  as  they  know  are  per- 
fectly harmless. 

176 


I'l.WGROUND    EXCURSIONS    AND    <  Wll'- 


177 


These  tilings  children  of  the  country  usually  learn  by  tradition  rather 
than  by  bitter  experience. 

The  most  dangerous  of  all  poisonous  plants  arc  poison  oak.  poison  ivy 
and  poison  sumach.  (Mr.  V.  K.  Chestnut  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
has  prepared  a  hook  entitled  "Thirty  Poisonous  Plants,"  which  may  he 
secured  from  the  Government  Printing  Office  and  the  Secretary  of  Agri- 
culture.) 

C.     Camps 

1.  Value  of  Playground  Camps.  The  best  way  to  get  acquainted 
with  people  and  to  find  out  just  what  they  are  and  also  to  influence  them 
for  good  is  to  go  camping  witli  them.  The  first  playground  camp  which 
we  know  of  was  Camp  Hubbard  which  was  conducted  by  the  Committee 
on  Camps  of  the  Massachusetts  Civic  League  in  1900.  The  leaders  among 
the  boys  on  the  playground  were  taken  camping  for  a  week.  Other  play- 
grounds have  introduced  camps  and  there  have  been  a  number  of  municipal 
camps,  Newark.  New  Jersey,  conducting  such  a  one.  It  is  our  opinion 
that  one  of  the  solutions  of  the  city  and  country  problem  lies  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  camps. 


A    HOME-MADE    TENT 


2.  Home-Made  Tent.  One  of  the  great  drawbacks  is  generally 
that  of  expense.  We  cannot  see  why  camps  would  need  to  be  quite  so  expen- 
sive.    When  we  were  "kids"  we  wished  to  go  camping  "the  worst  way." 


178  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAIT 

Our  father  didn't  have  the  money  to  get  us  a  "fitout."  We  designed  the 
following  method  at  the  age  of  fifteen: 

The  frame  work  to  a  tent  was  made  by  setting  six  upright  saplings 
about  the  size  of  fishpoles  so  that  the  two  in  the  middle  would  serve  as  an 
attachment  for  a  ridge  pole,  while  the  two  at  each  side  of  this  would  serve 
as  the  eaves  to  a  tent  frame.  The  tent  was  made  of  unbleached  cotton 
cloth  cut  into  the  proper  sizes  so  that  the  piece  going  over  the  ridge  pole 
would  make  three  sheets  if  cut  up.  The  two  ends  of  the  tent  were  each  the 
proper  size  to  make  one  sheet.  The  piece  over  the  top  was  run  over  the 
frames  and  tacked  at  the  bottom.  Then  the  end  pieces  were  pinned  to  the 
roof  and  sides.  One  end  piece  was  split  so  as  to  leave  an  opening  by  which 
to  enter  the  tent.  The  fly  was  made  out  of  another  piece  of  cloth.  Then 
above  the  ridge  pole  was  placed  another  ridge  pole  made  in  the  same  way 
and  over  this  was  stretched  a  piece  of  sheeting  large  enough  for  two  sheets 
with  straps  sewed  on  to  the  ends  in  which  ropes  were  tied  and  attached 
to  stakes  driven  in  the  ground.  The  only  cost  was  for  the  unbleached 
cotton  sheeting  and  after  the  season  was  over  the  sheets  were  thoroughly 
bleached  and  were  made  up  and  used  for  bed  purposes.  Total  cost  of  tent 
nothing  and  bleached  sheeting  as  an  added  asset.  Our  paternal  ancestor 
saw  the  point  and  for  three  summers  two  of  us  went  camping  on  various 
lakes,  twenty  miles  or  so  from  home.  We  were  each  given  $1.00  apiece 
per  week  to  pay  expenses  with  and  we  managed  to  make  it  get  us  there  and 
back  and  pay  expenses.     (See  illustration  on  page  177.) 

We  got  jobs  haying,  picking  blueberries,  and  in  some  instances  caught 
fish  and  sold  them. 

We  see  no  reason  why  such  a  plan  should  not  be  carried  on  in  larger 
proportions.  The  trouble  with  children  now-a-days  is  that  they  have 
things  too  much  predigested,  ready-made,  cut  and  dried  for  them.  A  little 
"roughing  it"  under  proper  supervision  would  do  a  wonderful  amount  of 
good  to  the  majority  of  our  city  "  kids."  Get  them  out  in  the  country,  give 
them  two  or  three  dollars  a  week  or  have  their  parents  furnish  it  and  let 
them  try  life,  on  their  own  hook. 

3.  Family  Camp.  The  city  of  Berlin  has  a  novel  method  of  getting 
the  people  out  into  the  country  during  the  summer  time.  They  establish  a 
camp  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  where  the  people  come  from  the  tenements 
and  live  during  the  summer  time.  As  a  modification  of  this  plan  we  would 
surest  that  everv  city  playground  system  have  established  in  one  of  the 
large  parks  a  playground  camp,  where  leaders  from  the  various  playgrounds 
of  the  city  could  be  taken  for  a  week's  outing.  It  would  not  be  necessary 
that  this  be  put  in  a  public  park.  It  might  be  carried  on  in  connection  with 
the  course  in  gardening. 


PLAY(;H01  Nl>     KX(  IHSIONS    AND    (AMPS 


179 


Courtesy  of  Youth's  Companion 

ENJOYING   THE    FRUITS    OF    THEIR    LABOR 


4.  A  Vacation  on  a  Raft.  Mr.  A.  S.  Atkinson  in  the  Youth's 
Companion  May  20th,  1909,  describes  a  unique  method  of  making  a 
water  camp  which  might  be  used  by  the  playground  boys  in  one  of  the  city 
parks.  Under  proper  supervision  and  with  proper  sanitary  regulations  a 
fleet  of  these  home-made  camps  could  add  much  to  the  play  life  of  the  city 
child.  We  reproduce  the  cut  by  permission  and  refer  the  reader  for  de- 
scription to  the  original  article. 


ISO  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCBAFT 

.">.     A  Bibliography   of  Camps.* 

History  <>f  Camps.     "Vacation  Camps  and  Boys'  Republics,"  by  Albert  Shaw.    Review 
•  of  Reviews,  May.  L896. 

v_ 

The  Camp  [nstinct.     "Boys  as  Savages,"   by   E.   M.    Robinson.     Association  Outlook, 
Springfield,  Mass..  July,  1899. 

"Thinkerettes  about  Boys  and  Camps."     Ibid,  August,  189!). 

Camp  Methods,  General.     "Camp  Fires  in  the  Wilderness,"  by  E.  W.  Burt.    Boston, 

National  Sportsman  Company,  1902. 
''The  Complete    Campers'  Manual."     Buzzacott,  Camp  Outfitter,   Racine  Junction, 

Wis. 
"Practical  Camping."     Boyhood,  Spring,  1903. 

"Boys'  Book  of  Sports  and  Outdoor  Life,"  by  Maurice  Thompson.     New  York,  1896. 
"The  Open  Air  Boy,"  by  G.  M.  A.  Hewlett.  '  R.  F.  Fenno  &  Co.,  New  York,  1903. 

Games  and  Sports.     "Fun  Making  at  Camp,"  by  Charles  B.  Horton.    Association  Boys, 
June,  1903. 

"Eighty  Good  Times  Out-of-Doors,"  by  William  M.  Heath.    189  pp.    Revell,  1903. 
"One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Gymnastic  Gaines,"  by  Graduates  of  the  Boston  Normal 
School  of  Gymnastics.     George  H.  Fllis,  Boston,  1902. 

Handicraft.     "The  Boys'  Workshop,"  by  Henry  Randall  Waite.     New  York,  1884. 
Amateur  Work,  a  magazine.     Boston. 

Nature  Study.  "Nature  Study  and  Life,"  by  Clifton  F.  Hodge.  514  pp.  Ginn,  1902. 
"Educational  Possibilities  at  Camp,"  by  F.  B.  Speare.  Association  Boys,  June,  1903. 
"Nature  Study  at  Boys'  Camps,"  by  H.  W.  Gibson.     Ibid. 

Periodicals  Issued  in  Camps.     The  Asquam  Record,  Holderness,  N.  H. 

Reading.    "Books  for  Boys,"  lists  by  Caroline  M.  Hewins,  Frances  J.  Olcott,  Elva  Sophronia 
Smith,  William  B.  Forbush,  etc. 

How  to  Help  Boys,  Boston,  April,  1903. 

Religious.    "Bible   Study   at  Camp,"  by  Raymond  P.  Kaiglin.    Association  Boys,  June, 
1903. 

Sanitation,  Etc.    "Sanitary  Care  of  Camp,"  bv  Elias  G.  Brown,  M.D.    Association  Boys, 
3  West  29th  Street,' April  and  June,  1902. 

"Simple  Remedies  in  Camp,"  by  the  same.     Ibid,  June,  1903. 

Family  Camps.     "In  An  Abandoned   Farmhouse,"   by  Wrilliam  Byron  Forbush,  in  the 
Boston  Transcript,  August  31,  1902. 

"How  to  Live  Outdoors  with  Children,"  by  the  same,  in  The  Conqreqationalist,  July 
11,  1903. 

Municipal  Camps.     "Boston  Municipal  Camp."     Harper's  Bazaar,  September  30,  1899. 

Settlement  Camps.     "Camps  for  Boys,"  by  Thornton  S.  Alexander. 
Social.  Work  Monographs,  No.  2,  Lincoln  House,  Boston. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Camps.     "Association  Boys'  Camps,"  by  E.  M.  Robinson.     Association  Boys, 
3  W.  29th  Street,  New  York  City,  June,  1902. 

Report  of  Association  Boys'  Camps  for  1901.     Ibid. 


*From  How  to  Help  Boys,  July,  1903. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
The  Plat  Coubse  ix  Forestry  and  Gardening 

A.     Extracts  From  School  Gardens.     Bulletin  No.  160,  U.  S. 

Department  of  Agriculture 

By  S.  C.  Corbett 

"Agriculture  in  its  broadest  sense  is  the  primary  basis  of  wealth  in 
this  country,  and  it  seems  essential  that  efforts  should  be  made  in  our 
educational  system  to  bring  early  to  the  mind  of  the  child  farts  which  will 
be  of  value  as  emphasizing  the  importance  and  necessity  of  agricultural 
work.  There  is  no  better  war  to  do  this  than  through  a  well-managed  and 
well-conducted  system  of  school  garden  training.  Aside  from  the  fact  that 
the  interest  of  the  child  is  early  awakened  in  an  industry  which  means  much 
to  the  future  prosperity  of  this  country,  there  is  often  a  broader  application 
of  the  work  in  its  moral  effect  on  the  child.  Then,  the  work  is  valuable  in 
broadening  lines  of  thought,  enlarging  the  scope  of  the  child's  observation, 
and  improving  its  physique.    It  has  been  well  said  that: — - 

" '  In  the  school  garden  the  fact  should  always  be  kept  prominent  that 
the  pupil  is  to  be  the  most  active  factor.  We  can  put  things  in  his  way  to 
help  him  develop  properly  and  keep  him  from  some  of  the  things  that  fail 
so  to  help  him,  but  we  cannot  do  this  developing  for  him,  and  if  he  is  to 
have  a  knowledge  of  the  elementary  principles  of  life,  of  industry,  of  man- 
kind, of  beauty  and  the  morality  of  work  he  must  work  out  his  own  salvation. 

"In  the  spring  of  1902  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture  received  a  request  from  Normal  School 
No.  1  of  Washington,  D.  C,  for  assistance  and  cooperation  in  its  efforts  to 
introduce  gardening;  into  the  course  of  the  school. 

'The  course  prescribed  in  the  school  at  the  present  time  is  sufficiently 
elementary  to  be  easily  adapted  to  the  schools  into  which  the  graduates  are 
sent.    No  text-book  is  required,  books  being  used  simply  for  reference. 

"Simple  experiments  are  performed  and  conclusions  drawn  from  the 
results.  Soils  brought  from  school  grounds  are  treated  with  different 
fertilizers,  seeds  planted  in  them,  and  the  results  carefully  noted.  The 
water-holding  power  of  soils,  the  conservation  of  water  by  soil  mulching, 
the  essentials  for  germination,  and  the  proper  depths  for  planting  various 
seeds  are  learned  through  experiments. 

"Before  the  frost  touches  geraniums,  coleus,  scarlet  sage,  and  helio- 
trope in  the  park  beds,  cuttings  are  made  and  placed  in  clean  sand  to  root, 
thus  furnishing  material  for  school-ground  decoration  later.  These  slips 
are  potted  and  shifted  into  larger  pots,  as  required,  during  the  winter,  so 

181 


182 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


that  by  spring  the  greenhouse  is  filled  with  material  for  distribution.  In 
the  spring  of  1904,  4,000  plants  were  sent  out  from  this  house,  which  covers 
an  area  of  only  !)  by  82  feet. 

"Besides  the  herbaceous  material  mentioned,  hard-wood,  permanent 
material  is  used  for  cuttings.  Eight-inch  cuttings  of  privet  and  forsythia 
are  kepi  during  the  winter  under  an  open  shed  in  flats  filled  with  sand. 
In  March  these  are  sent  to  schools,  with  directions  for  planting.  The 
grounds  of  three  schools  are  now  surrounded  by  thriving  hedges  planted 
by  children.  The  demand  for  these  cuttings  is  greater  than  the  school  can 
supply.    Ampelopsis  veitchii  and  Clematis  paniculata  have  been  raised  from 


PLAY    GARDENING   IN    THE    COLUMBUS    AVENUE    PLAYGROUND 

Boston 


seed  and  distributed  to  schools  and  to  the  homes  of  the  students.  Bulbs 
have  been  planted  in  pots  for  winter  forcing.  Lists  of  plants  suitable  for 
withstanding  the  unfavorable  conditions  of  schoolrooms  have  been  prepared 
for  the  use  of  pupils. 

"Much  attention  has  been  given  to  window-box  gardening.  The 
preparation  of  the  soil,  the  suitability  of  plants,  and  their  proper  arrange- 
ment have  been  carefully  studied.  Special  success  in  these  window  boxes 
has  been  obtained  with  Boston  ferns." 

"  The  work  is  done  in  Worcester,  as  in  many  other  places,  in  the  nature- 
study  period.    The  outdoor  work  is  preceded  by  simple  informal  lessons  in 


PLAY    COURSE    EN    FORESTRY    AND    GARDENING  183 

the  class  room.  The  children  bring  tools  from  home.  It  has  been  necessary 
for  the  teacher  to  buy  soil  every  two  or  three  years,  as  the  steep  grade  of 
the  yard  causes  the  ground  to  be  deeply  washed.  To  most  of  the  children 
this  work  is  an  incentive  for  home  gardens,  and  the  improvement  of  the 
surrounding  "neighborhood  testifies  to  the  value  of  the  work  at  the  school." 

©  © 

%  *  *  * 

"A  wild  garden  on  one  side  of  the  building,  a  small  vegetable  garden 
on  the  other  side,  and  a  creditable  lawn  in  front,  bordered  by  luxuriantly 
blooming  nasturtiums,  make  this  building  one  of  the  mosl  pleasing  results 
of  the  efforts  of  children.  A  school  yard  planted  by  a  gardener  is  good  if 
the  work  can  be  done  in  no  other  way.  hut  the  one  that  best  serves  its  edu- 
cational value  is  planted  by  children,  no  matter  how  small  the  ground  or 
how  crude  the  result.  It  is  in  such  a  garden  that  moral  teaching  is  accom- 
plished." 

*  *  *  * 

"Clematis,  climbing  roses,  English  ivy,  and  the  trumpet  creeper,  as 
well  as  moon  vines  and  other  annuals,  were  planted  along  fences  and  wood 
sheds. 

The  planting  of  250  forsythias  along  the  walks  to  the  buildings  will  be 
of  permanent  value.  These  plants  were  made  by  the  girls  from  cuttings  from 
shrubs  in  the  grounds  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture." 

H<  3fc  Hs  % 

"  Tree  seeds  have  been  collected  in  the  parks  of  the  city  in  the  autumn 
and  kept  in  sand  during  the  winter.  In  the  spring  the  ground  has  been 
plowed  by  the  students  with  a  hand  plow,  the  seeds  being  planted  in  accord- 
ance with  the  directions  given  in  Bulletin  No.  29  of  the  Bureau  of  Forestry 
of  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  Weeding  occasionally  during  the  sum- 
mer is  all  the  work  that  has  been  required.     The  nursery  now  contains 

about  400  vouno;  trees." 

j        © 

*t^  *j*  »j.  *ip 

"The  simple  principles  of  landscape  gardening  are  taught — popularly 
known  as  the  A  B  C  of  gardening:  (A)  Keep  open  center;  (B)  plant  in 
masses;  and  (C)   avoid  straight  lines." 

*  *  *  * 

"This  plan  has  been  followed  successfully  for  two  years.  At  the 
beginning  of  vacation  the  garden  is  so  attractive  that  it  is  little  trouble 
to  form  volunteer  committees  of  children  to  report  once  a  week  throughout 
the  summer  to  water  and  cut  the  grass  and  work  the  flower  beds.  The 
attendance  has  been  large.  Each  student  in  the  normal  class  comes  once 
a  week  for  three  weeks  to  direct  the  work." 

*  H=  #  * 

"The  children  do  this  work  with  no  reward  in  view  other  than  the 
beautifying  of  the  grounds.    Civic  pride  is  taught  and  respect  for  the  prop- 


184  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLATCRAPT 

erty  rights  of  others  is  learned.  While  stealing  and  vandalism  were  weekly 
occurrences  the  first  summer  the  gardens  were  in  existence,  not  one  case 
was  reported  during  L904." 

*  *  *  * 

"Plantain  and  dandelions  have  been  troublesome  weeds  in  the  lawns. 
The  older  children  measured  the  area  and  calculated  how  many  flower 
heads,  if  allowed  to  seed,  a  plant  must  bear  to  take  entire  possession  of  the 
lawn.  This,  of  course,  has  been  done  with  the  supposition  that  every  seed 
grows  and  has  a  given  space.  This  is  practical,  in  that  it  teaches  the  neces- 
sity of  preventing  the  ripening  of  the  seeds  of  weeds." 

*  *  *  * 

"Philadelphia,  Boston,  New  York,  and  St.  Louis,  with  their  large  for- 
eign quarters,  have  felt  the  need  of  a  work  that  will  turn  the  children  toward 
the  country;  so  in  those  places  the  subject  has  been  worked  out  on  large 
areas,  subdivided  into  many  small  plats,  where  children  are  taught  the 
value  of  intensive  farming  on  small  tracts." 

"  To  test  the  value  of  gardening  as  a  suitable  form  of  manual  training 
for  boys  below  the  seventh  grade,  a  sixth-grade  class  of  boys  was  selected 
to  work  the  land  assigned  the  normal  school  on  the  grounds  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture." 

*  *  *  * 

"Study  of  soils,  fertilizers,  seed  sowing  and  mulching  was  made  before 
the  outdoor  work  began.  Each  boy  was  assigned  a  plat  10  by  17  feet, 
paths  two  feet  wide  separating  the  plats.  The  measuring  was  done  by  the 
boys  and  was  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  work." 

*  *  *  * 

"There  is  no  better  object  lesson  to  a  lazy  or  careless  boy  than  the 
little  plants  appearing  above  ground.  Such  boys  at  this  time  will  sometimes 
hoe  up  their  entire  plats  and  replant  them,  because  of  the  great  difference 
apparent  between  their  gardens  and  those  of  the  more  careful  pupils.  All 
things  are  not  suitable  for  such  small  plats.  Among  vegetables,  radishes, 
lettuce,  onions,  bush  beans,  and  tomatoes,  if  trained  to  stakes,  are  the  most 
satisfactory  to  children;  petunias,  nasturtiums,  sweet  alyssum,  and  ver- 
benas flower  all  summer,  so  a  bunch  of  flowers  may  be  taken  home  at  every 

lesson." 

*  *  *  * 

"  By  putting  in  a  crop  as  soon  as  one  has  been  exhausted,  on  a  sixteenth 
of  an  acre  these  sixth-grade  boys  raised  336  bunches  of  radishes,  110  bunches 
of  onions,  368  heads  of  lettuce,  89  bunches  of  beets,  8  bushels  of  beans,  7 
bushels  of  tomatoes,  7  bunches  of  carrots,  and  1  peck  of  turnips,  besides 
nasturtiums  and  petunias,  many  boxes  of  which  found  their  way  to  the  hos- 
pitals of  the  city." 

*  *  *  * 


PLAY    COURSE    IN    FORESTRY    AND    GARDENING 


185 


"  Al  regular  market  (trices  $55  worth  of  produce  has  been  gathered 
from  this  small  plat.     Experienced  farmers  sometimes  fail  to  do  as  well." 

"There  is  no  question  in  the  minds  of  those  in  charge  of  the  value  of 
the  work.  Proof  was  given  the  first  season  of  the  influence  on  the  homes 
of  the  boys.  With  little  expenditure  for  tools,  fertilizers,  and  seeds,  and  in 
some  cases  renting  land  near  schools,  such  opportunities  could  he  given  to 
every  sixth-grade  bov  in  the  city." 

The  Horticultural  Society  of  Springfield,  Mass..  with  the  cooperation 
of  the  City  Forester  and  the  Springfield  Republican,  have  for  two  years 
encouraged  the  beautifying  of  school  and  home  grounds  by  means  of  prize 
contests.  Circulars  giving  cultural  directions  for  trees  and  ornamental 
shrubs  best  adapted  for  city  use  are  circulated.  The  newspaper  donates 
the  prizes. 


B.     Home  Gardening  Association,  Cleveland,  Ohio 

The  Home  Gardening  Association  of  Cleveland  is  the  originator  of 
the  method  of  encouraging  home  gardening  by  the  selling  of  penny  packages 
of  seed.  The  work  is  not  confined  to  children.  Earnest  workers  of  the 
Goodrich  House  Settlement  started  the  association,  which  aims  to  reach 
adults  as  well  as  children,  and  they  find  the  garden  the  readiest  means  of 
entrance  to  the  homes. 


* 


* 


Envelopes  containing  the  following  list  of  seeds  and  particulars  as  to 
their  distribution  are  sent  to  the  schools  in  February: 


The  Home  Gardening  Association 
seeds  recommended 


Price,  1  cent  a  packet.    Mark  opposite  the  variety  the  number  of  packets  wanted.    Separate 

colors  cannot  be  ordered. 


Aster,  mixed,  scarlet,  white,  blue, 
and  rose,  1.5  inches  high 

Bachelor's.  Button,  or  Corn- 
flower, blue,  pink,  and  white,  2 
feet  high 

Balsam,  or  Lady  Slipper,  mixed 
colors,  2  feet  high 

Calliopsis,  or  Coreopsis,  yellow 
and  brown,  2  feet  high..... 

♦Cosmos,  mixed,  white,  pink,  and 
red,  5  feet  high 

Four-o'clock,  yellow,  white  and 
crimson,  2  feet  high 

Marigold,  yellow,  1  foot  high 

Moh\i\<;-Glory,  a  climber,  mixed 
colors,  12  feet  high 


Nasturtium,  a  climber,  yellow,  or- 
ange, and  red,  6  feet  high 

Nasturtium,  bush,  yellow,  orange, 
and  red,  1  foot  high 

China  Pinks,  mixed,  pink,  scarlet, 
white,  and  lilac,  6  inches  high 

Phi. ox,  mixed,  scarlet,  pink,  and 
white,  1  foot  high 

Scarlet  Runner,  a  climber,  scarlet, 
7  feet  high 

Verbena,  mixed,  white,  scarlet,  pur- 
ple, 6  inches  high 

Zinnia,  scarlet,  '_'  feet  high 

tGLADioLi  Bulbs,  red,  yellow,  and 
pink,  1  cent  each 


*Cosmos  is  not  recomniened  for  smokiest  districts.    Blooms  in  October. 

fGladioli  bulbs  should  lie  planted  right  side  up,  in  a  <;ood,  rich  soil,  in  a  sunny  situa- 
tion, 6  inches  deep  and  G  inches  apart.  Will  send  up  one  stalk  of  bloom  three  months 
after  planting.  Flower  stalk  may  need  support  by  tying  to  a  stick.  Tlie  bulbs  should  be 
taken  up  in  October  and  planted  next  spring.  Store  where  they  will  not  be  frozen, 
make  a  fine  display  in  school  yard. 


Will 


180  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

Return  this  envelope  to  the  teacher  with  your  money.    Do  not  put  money  in  this  envelope. 

Number  of  packets, .     Amount, cents. 

Write  your  name  here ■• 

Address,  . 

Grade, .     School, 


Your  seeds  will  lie  delivered  to  you  in  this  envelope  about  May  first.  Prepare  your 
garden  in  April.  Select  the  sunniest  part  of  your  yard,  hut  avoid  a  place  where  the  chipping 
From  the  root'  will  tall  on  the  bed.  Dig  deep — a  full  foot.  Soil  with  well-rotted  manure 
dug  in  will  give  better  results  than  poor  soil. 

Four-o'clock,  bachelor's  button,  marigold,  calliopsis,  zinnia,  morning-glory,  and  nas- 
turtium are  the  easiest  to  grow  successfully. 

Many  window  boxes  should  be  planted.    Try  one. 

After  the  seeds  desired  by  each  child  are  indicated,  the  envelopes  are 
sent  by  the  principals  of  buildings  to  the  Goodrich  House,  while  the  money 
is  forwarded  to  the  treasurer.  A  slight  profit  accrues  from  this  work,  but 
it  is  returned  to  the  schools  in  the  form  of  prizes  or  by  the  donation  of  bulbs. 

The  seeds  are  delivered  the  first  of  May.  Lessons  are  given  in  the 
schoolroom  on  the  ways  to  plant  and  the  care  of  the  gardens.  To  supple- 
ment these  lessons,  the  association  distributes  cards  containing  the  follow- 
ing instructions: 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  THE  CARE  OF  THE  GARDEN 

Plant  seeds  in  garden  or  boxes  early  in  May. 
Fill  boxes  with  4  or  5  inches  of  fine,  rich  soil. 
Place  boxes  in  sunny  place  and  sprinkle  ^very  day. 
Cover  boxes  at  night  if  very  cold. 

Transplant  seedlings  to  the  garden  about  June  1,  on  a  damp  day. 
Sow  seeds  of  calliopsis,  nasturtiums,  morning-glories,  and  four-o'clocks  in  the  garden, 
as  they  do  not  stand  transplanting. 

SUGGESTIONS    FOR   WINDOW   BOXES 

Make  a  box  6  or  8  inches  deep,  12  to  15  inches  wide,  and  as  long  as  the  window  is  wide. 

Fill  the  boxes  with  fine  rich  soil  and  fasten  firmly  to  the  sunniest  window. 

Place  similar  boxes  on  the  porch  or  fence. 

Plant  morning-glories  on  the  side  nearest  the  house  and  train  up  on  strings. 

Plant  climbing  nasturtiums  near  outside,  to  hang  down  over  the  box. 

Plant  calliopsis,  zinnias,  marigolds,  asters,  or  verbenas  in  middle  of  box. 

Boxes  need  water  every  day. 

MAKING   OF   YOUR   FLOWER   BEDS 

Select  sunniest  part  of  the  yard. 

Avoid  a  place  where  the  dripping  from  the  roof  will  fall  on  the  bed. 

Best  effects  are  produced  by  planting  all  of  one  variety  in  one  place. 

PREPARATION   OF   THE   SOIL 

Dig  up  the  bed,  as  early  as  possible,  a  foot  deep. 

Mix  with  the  soil  some  rich  earth,  well-rotted  manure,  or  leaf  mold  from  the  woods. 

Rake  the  beds  and  keep  the  soil  fine  and  free  from  lumps. 

PLANTING   OF   SEEDS 

See  directions  on  the  seed  packet. 

WATERING   OF   THE   GARDEN 

Sprinkle  the  beds  every  day,  if  necessary,  until  the  plants  are  1  inch  high. 
Do  not  allow  the  soil  to  become  too  dry. 

Sprinkle  thoroughly  every  few  days  when  the  plants  are  2  or  3  inches  high,  instead  of 
lightly  every  day. 

Water  in  the  morning  and  evening. 


PLAY    COURSE    IN    FORESTRY    AND    GARDENING  187 


THINNING   OF   PLANTS    IN    THE   GARDEN 


Avoid  having  plants  too  crowded.  . 

Thin  the  plants  when  they  are  2  or  3  inches  high,  on  a  cloudy  day,  when  the  soil  is 

moist. 

Transplant  seedlings  pulled  up  to  another  bed,  or  give  them  to  some  friend. 

Take  up  a  little  soil  with  each  plant. 

Use  a  trowel,  and  old  kitchen  fork,  or  small,  flat,  thin  stick. 

PICKING   OF   FLOWERS 

Do  not  allow  flowers  to  go  to  seed. 

Pick  them  every  day  and  more  will  bloom. 

Allow  a  few  of  the  best  flowers  to  go  to  seed  for  next  year's  garden. 

Keep  beautiful  fresh  flowers  in  your  house  and  share  them  with  the  sick. 

GENERAL   INSTRUCTIONS 

Dig  deep  and  make  the  soil  fine  on  the  surface. 
Keep  pulling  out  the  weeds  all  summer. 
Sprinkle  the  seeds  everv  day. 

Water  the  bed  thoroughly  every  few  days  during  the  whole  summer. 
Pick  your  flowers  every  day. 
Keep  your  garden  neat. 
Flowers  require  attention  all  summer. 

By  attending  to  these  things  you  will  have  flowers  all  summer  and  for  the  flower  show 
in  the  fall. 

Each  school  building  holds  an  exhibit  in  the  autumn,  and  the  best  in  each  division  is 
awarded  a  prize,  consisting  either  of  money  or  bulbs.  If  the  former,  it  is  with  the  stipu- 
lation that  it  shall  be  devoted  to  improving  school  grounds. 

C.     Experimentation 

The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  conducts  the  biggest 
correspondence  school  in  the  world.  Youth  is  preeminently  the  time  for 
experimentation.  Through  the  children,  the  agricultural  methods  of  the 
country  can  be  entirely  remodelled.  We  have  a  small  brother,  who  is  of 
an  experimental  turn  of  mind,  as  are  most  children.  We  have  introduced 
him  to  the  Department  of  Farmers'  Free  Bulletins,  a  list  of  which  may 
be  secured  by  addressing  your  Representative  in  Congress,  and  through 
play  he  is  learning  a  great  many  new  things  about  farming  methods. 
The  various  agricultural  colleges  of  the  states  will  gladly  furnish  infor- 
mation regarding  new  methods  upon  application.  We  think  that  the  chil- 
dren should  eel  in  the  habit  of  using  these  means  of  education. 

D.     Creation  of  New  Species 

Hybridization  and  the  creation  of  new  species  offers  a  wonderful  field 
for  attracting  the  interest  of  the  children  to  the  soil  and  its  possibilities. 
Tell  them  the  story  of  Burbank  and  his  wonderful  achievements.  The 
process  of  hybridization  is  so  simple  thai  any  seven-year  old  child  could 
do  it.  Simply  shake  the  pollen  from  the  stamens  of  one  species  onto  the 
stigma  of  the  variety  you  wish  to  hybridize;  then  collect  the  seeds,  plant 
them,  select  the  best  specimens,  hybridize  the  best  ones  again  and  repeat. 
There  are  many  beautiful  flowers  which  may  be  obtained,  hundreds  of 
varieties  of  wild  grasses  that  may  beat  anything  we  have  in  our  mowings 


ISS  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAPT 

now.    The  Department  of  Agriculture  will  he  glad  to  assist.    Don't  attempt 
to  make  the  play  gardening  of  children  too  materialistic  or  economic. 

Childhood  is  the  time  of  experimentation. 

Appropriate  vines  and  hedge  plants  are  needed  for  the  landscape  gar- 
dening of  playgrounds;  vines  which  a  baseball  will  not  injure.  Perhaps 
the  children  can  develop  these.  The  Department  of  Agriculture  is  trying 
to  introduce  the  culture  of  basket  willows.  Why  not  have  a  part  in  the 
playground,  or  space  in  the  big  parks  where  the  children  can  raise  willows 
for  their  own  baskets,  for  use  in  making  willow  huts,  etc.  Basket  willows 
would  make  a  good  screen  for  separating  the  different  parts  of  the  play- 
ground. 

E.     A  Plan  of  Reforestation 

One  of  the  most  serious  problems  which  our  country  has  to  face  is  the 
destruction  of  the  forests.  The  whole  country  could  be  reclothed  with 
trees  inside  of  three  years  by  the  proper  organization  of  school  children, 
who  would  plant  the  seed  and  then  transplant  the  seedlings  in  the  place 
where  they  are  to  grow.  The  Massachusetts  Board  of  Forestry  is  attempting 
to  introduce  the  study  of  trees  into  the  public  schools.  The  danger  is,  that 
children  will  learn  about  trees  and  not  plant  them.  Through  country 
playgrounds,  we  think  this  work  could  be  extended  quicker  than  any  other 
way,  for  play  directors  have  the  ability  to  lead  and  direct  the  interests  of 
the  children.  An  organization  of  "Forest  Crusaders"  might  be  formed. 
The  little  bits  of  tots  could  be  "  dryads  "  and  plant  the  seeds.  The  bigger 
ones  could  be  "elves"  and  transplant  the  little  trees.  The  boys  and  girls 
seven  to  eleven  could  be  "rangers"  and  take  care  of  the  small  trees.  The 
big  bovs  could  be  "foresters"  and  could  range  the  woods  and  fields  collect- 
ing seeds. 

The  children  in  the  cities  could  plant  such  trees  as  are  adapted  for 
street  ornamentation  and  for  shade  on  playgrounds.  They  could  also 
raise  shrubs  for  the  decoration  of  home  and  public  grounds.  The  public 
schools  of  Springfield  are  doing  something  of  this  nature,  but  without  any 
particular  organization.    The  organization  could  be  made  the  whole  thing. 

Each  tree  that  a  child  plants  might  have  his  name  on  it  or  near  it,  and 
membership  in  the  "crusaders"  to  continue  while  the  trees  lived.  Compe- 
tition might  be  introduced.  The  plan  presents  unlimited  possibilities. 
The  children  of  a  city  playground  might  raise  forest  tree  seedlings  and 
plant  them  for  farmers  in  the  districts  not  too  far  from  the  city,  and  more 
than  cover  the  expense  of  a  camping  trip. 

1.  Bibliography.  Forest  planting  leaflets  of  Massachusetts  Fores- 
try Department,  F.  W.  Rane,  Forester,  Boston,  Mass.  Forest  planting 
leaflets.  Department  of  Forestry,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Gifford 
Pinchot,  Ch.,  Washington,  D.  C. 


play  course  ix  forestry  and  gardening  is'* 

2.     Books  Recommended  by  Committee  on  Normal  Course  of 
Play.     (See  Bibliography  for  additional  references.) 

For  syllabus  see  Cornell  leaflets,  etc. 

Bulletins  1(>0,  195,  "20-L  Office  of  Experiment  Station,  Department  of  Agriculture. 

Farmers'  Bulletins,  Department  of  Agriculture,  by  L.  C.  Corbett. 
Beautifying  Home  Grounds,  The  School  Garden. 
Nature  Study  and  Belated  Subjects — Jackman. 
Beports  of  Cleveland  Home  Gardening  Association. 
Cornell  Leaflets  of  Nature  Study. 
Hampton  Institute  publications. 
How  to  Make  School  Gardens— F.  D.  Hemenway. 
Children's  Gardens— Louise  Klein  Miller. 

Agriculture  Through  the  Labarotary  and  School  Garden — Dougherty  and  Jackson. 
Agriculture  for  Beginners — Burket  and  Stevens. 
Agriculture — Soule  and  Turpin. 
Nature  Study  and  Life — Hodge. 
Nature  Studv— Holtz. 


"Some  real  knowledge  of  the  amount  of  care,  time, 
patience  and  money,  and  of  the  chance  for  success  or  failure 
in  raising  a  shrub  or  tree,  will  do  more  in  getting  a  boy  vol- 
untarily to  respect  public  parks  than  all  the  police  which  a 
city  can  afford  to  watch  over  it." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
Pets  and  the  Domestication  of  Animals 

The  domestication  of  animals  has  played  an  important  part  in  the 
development  of  the  race.  The  responsibility  and  care  needed  for  success 
in  raising  and  using  them  has  created  in  the  normal  man  a  love  for  these 
dumb  creatures,  who  look  to  us  for  support,  and  who  in  return  give  us  of 
their  strength  and  love  unsparingly.  The  child  who  does  not  have  a  pet  to 
care  for  can  never  be  a  normal  man  or  woman.  Every  playground  should 
have  a  cat,  a  dog,  pigeons,  rabbits,  white  mice,  guinea  pigs,  perhaps  canary 
birds,  and  a  fish  pond,  not  necessarily  large.  Los  Angeles  has  a  good  style 
to  copy.  Wherever  there  is  space  a  playground  cow  and  horse  would  be 
an  admirable  addition.  They  might  be  installed  at  the  playground  camp 
in  the  big  park.  The  children  could  take  turns  in  being  " allowed"  to  milk 
the  cow  for  a  week,  and  take  care  of  the  horse. 

The  cow  could  furnish  the  milk,  cream  and  butter,  for  the  play  house- 
keeping. 

The  horse  could  be  used  to  do  odd  jobs  connected  with  the  play- 
ground system,  to  take  the  children  on  camping  excursions  and  to  serve  as 
conveyance  when  one  playground  in  the  city  visits  another  playground. 
The  cities'  condemned  fire  horses  can  be  purchased  very  cheaply  for  this 
purpose  or  perhaps  they  might  be  donated.  The  horse  could  plow  up  the 
children's  gardens  and  haul  cinders  in  winter.  The  plan  presents  many 
opportunities  for  development.  Toads  ought  to  be  secured  and  kept  on 
the  playground.  Dr.  Hodge's  "Studies"  have  proved  conclusively  the 
value  of  nature  study  and  the  love  of  animals  in  the  education  of  the  youth. 
In  the  country,  wild  animals  can  be  caught  and  domesticated.  Fish  could 
be  supplied  to  the  small  streams.  The  fish  growing  wild  in  a  natural  lake 
were  tamed  by  the  assistant  editor  when  a  little  girl,  so  that  they  would 
follow  her  up  and  down  along  the  shore.  She  would  take  them  out  in  her 
hands,  keeping  them  out  until  they  showed  signs  of  distress,  putting  them 
in  little  cans  of  water  and  then  putting  them  back  in  the  lake.  Immediately 
after  they  would  return  to  be  played  with  again.  Dr.  Hodge  has  succeeded 
in  taming  and  domesticating:  the  native  rough  grouse  of  New  England.  The 
Boston  Globe,  June  6.  1909.  has  a  full-page  article  describing  his  methods. 

Dr.  Hodge,  speaking  of  the  educational  value  of  the  study  of  animals, 
gives  the  incident  of  some  boys,  who  were  bothering  a  spider.  He  asked 
them  if  they  knew  the  spider  was  a  sailor,  and  he  proceeded  to  show  them 
how'he  could  sail  on  the  water.  When  children  are  cruel  to  animals,  it  is 
usually  not  from  a  feeling  of  vindictiveness,  but  they  are  investigating  and 
don't  know  a  better  way  to  do  it.  The  field  presents  great  possibilities  in 
play  education. 

190 


PART    VI 

THE  EDUCATIONAL  METHOD  OF  BUILDING 

PLAYGROUNDS 


CHAPTER  XXV 

Home  Made  Equipment 
A.     The  Advantages  op  Home  Made  Equipment 

The  construction  of  home  made  apparatus  is  exceedingly  simple. 
There  is  no  reason  why  any  mechanic  cannot  make  everything  necessary 
provided  the  proper  specifications  are  furnished.  There  are  distinct 
advantages  in  having  apparatus  made  up  at  home.    They  are: — 

At  the  prices  which  the  machine  companies  charge,  equipments  can 
be  made  by  local  labor  at  from  one-half  to  two-thirds  the  prices  charged 
by  the  machine  companies. 

The  money  is  kept  in  your  own  city.  Your  own  trades  people  receive 
the  benefit  therefrom  and  your  own  workmen  get  the  work. 

The  manufacture  of  play  equipments  offers  an  aim  and  object  to 
manual  training  work,  which  will  not  compete  with  any  other  established 
line  of  business.  Furthermore  the  children  will  enjoy  very  much  more  a 
playground  which  they  have  made  for  themselves.  A  school  in  Minneap- 
olis has  just  manufactured  the  entire  equipment  for  its  playground.  The 
playground  children  of  Washington,  Indianapolis,  Philadelphia  and 
Boston  have  assisted  with  the  manufacture  of  their  own  playground  equip- 
ments.   With  regard  to  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Stetcher  says : 

All  grounds  also  have  occupation  work  both  during  the  morning  and  afternoon.  For 
this  suitable  material  is  supplied,  like  reed  for  basketry,  split  cane  for  seat-caning,  twine  for 
Jiammocks,  wood  for  woodwork,  and  the  well-known  paper  materials  employed  in  the  kinder- 
garten and  lowest  primary  grades.  While  formerly  the  larger  children  kept  everything  they 
made  during  the  occupation  hours,  efforts  have  been  made,  during  the  last  years,  to  turn  this 
class  of  constructive  work  into  channels  that  would  directly  benefit  the  playgrounds.  It  is  a 
pleasure  to  report  that  these  efforts  have  been  entirely  successful.  There  is  no  loss  of  interest, 
when,  as  at  present,  besides  making  small  articles  for  themselves,  the  children  make  play  appa- 
ratus for  their  own  ground  as  well  as  for  other  grounds.  We  now  manufacture  hammock  stands 
and  hammocks,  so  that  "little  mothers"  bringing  babies  to  the  playgrounds  can  put  the  babies 
into  a  safe  place  under  the  charge  of  one  girl  or  boy  while  the  rest  have  a  chance  to  play.  A 
miniature  of  two  styles  of  these  stands  is  shown  in  the  Philadelphia  exhibit.  ^Ye  further 
manufacture  stilts,  stands  for  high  jumping,  tether  bats,  jumping  boards,  benches,  seats  for 
swings,  checker-boards,  grace  hoops,  and  minor  play  materials  of  a  like  order.  All  children  like 
this  occupation  work. 

We  consider  that  such  playgrounds  will  be  much  more  valuable  than 
the  ready  made  ones,  so  that  if  apparatus  were  more  expensive  when  made 
by  the  children,  we  should  still  advise  that  they  make  it  and  receive  the 
training  it  would  give. 

The  same  principle  also  applies  to  the  landscape  gardening  of  play- 
grounds which  should  be  done  by  the  children  as  much  as  possible. 

The  playground  plans,  descriptions  and  specifications  which  follow 
have  been  designed  from  the  knowledge  gained  by  ten  years  of  very  close 

192 


CO 

p 

o 

M 
O 

© 

—  3 

a  .a 

5    o 

—  — 

H   o 
H  ^ 

r"  a 


W  3 

<  M 
H 

o 

M 

< 

— 


CO 


193 


194 


PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


connection  with  playground  work.  They  are  also  designed  especially  to 
conform  to  the  abilities  of  rather  unskilled  labor.  Our  equipments  have 
always  been  made  and  erected  by  common  park  employees.  We  think 
that  none  of  the  work  is  too  intricate  to  be  done  by  a  boy  14  or  15  rears  old. 

Note — In   case  large  sized   blue  prints  of  any  of  these  plans  are  desired,  they  can  be  secured. 
Plans  for  landscape  gardening  of  playgrounds  prepared  for  the  use  of  children  can  also  be  secured. 


HOME  MADE    GIANT   STRIDES 
Los  Angeles 


B.     Common  Sense  in  Playground  Equipment 

There  has  been  an  immense  amount  of  money  wasted  in  the  past 
few  years  on  playground  equipment.  It  has  been  thought  necessary  to 
have  an  elaborate  equipment  whenever  there  has  been  money  enough  to 
buy  it.  As  a  result  we  have  numerous  exhibits  of  pipe  fitting  and  open 
plumbing  stuck  around  in  the  various  playgrounds  of  the  country  like 
pillars  in  the  Sahara  Desert,  mute  reminders  of  the  development  of  styles 
of  playground  equipment.  Chief  among  these  is  the  gymnasium,  at 
AVood  Island  Park.  If  no  apparatus  whatever  had  been  put  on  this 
playground  and  if  the  money  invested  in  equipment  could  have  been  spent 
for  adequate  supervision  it  would  have  been  enough  to  have  maintained 
the  playground  in  its  proper  condition  probably  from  its  origin  to  the  present 
time. 


HOME    MADE    EQUIPMENT  19.5 

Most  of  the  playground  apparatus  used  to-day  is  simply  indoor  gym- 
nasium apparatus  adapted  for  outdoor  use.  It  is  often  put  up  with  an 
entire  disregard  for  the  children's  desire  and  need.  Most  of  the  apparatus 
which  is  at  all  valuable  is  that  which  the  children  have  themselves  developed, 
for  instance  the  swing.  We  have  no  doubt  that  the  first  swing  was  invented 
by  one  of  our  "long-tailed  ancestors,"  and  consisted  of  grapevine  hanging 
from  a  limb.  The  children  of  the  race  have  consequently  been  rehearsing 
this  stage  of  development  to  the  present  time,  so  that  anything  which 
swings  is  attractive  to  them.  The  same  principle  holds  true  with  ladders, 
especially  so  if  they  are  arranged  so  that  the  means  of  exit  will  be  different 
from  the  place  of  entrance.  Joseph  Lee,  in  his  admirable  article  on  "A 
Home  Playground,"  describes  this  trait  of  the  children;*  and  in  speakinc 
of  playground  apparatus,  he  says — 

The  principle  announced  by  the  great  English  educator,  Edward  Thring,  is  a  sound 
one.  Whenever  you  can  get  a  piece  of  wood  or  other  inanimate  objecl  to  do  ;i  certain  piece 
of  work  for  you,  don't  call  upon  the  nerve  tissue  of  your  teachers  to  do  that  piece  of  work. 
Apparatus  can  largely  meet  the  desire  of  the  boy  to  show  how  great  he  is  by  the  performance 
of  marvelous  feats.  It  has  also  the  two  other  functions  of  serving  to  attract  boys  who  may 
come  to  perform  on  the  rings  and  stay  to  play  a  game,  and  of  being  a  method  by  which  the 
shy  boy  who  does  not  happen  to  belong  to  any  particular  gang  can  find  something  to  do  and 
so  get  to  be  one  of  the  playground  crowd. 

Now,  apparatus  which  requires  a  teacher  to  get  the  children  to  use  it 
and  which  does  not  appeal  to  their  inherent  interest  has  no  place  on  the 
playground.  The  play  director's  time  can  be  used  to  better  advantage  in 
teaching  games  than  in  keeping  the  children  doing  heavy  apparatus 
work. 

Dr.  Arnold's  paper  on  some  inexpensive  playground  apparatus  de- 
livered before  the  Playground  Congress  was  apropos.  Not  a  great  deal  of 
apparatus  is  necessary  although  it  has  its  place.  Dr.  Arnold  speaks  of  the 
following  :f 

C.     Some  Inexpensive  Playground  Apparatus 

The  Jumping  Pit.  An  excavation  ten  or  more  feet  wide,  thirty  or  more  feet  long, 
three  or  more  feet  deep  at  one  of  the  narrow  sides,  running  from  this  depth  diagonally  up- 
ward to  the  upper  edge  at  the  other  narrow  end.  The  sides  of  this  pit  are  made  secure 
by  stout  planks,  properly  prepared  to  withstand  moisture.  The  ground  around  is  well 
evened  up. 

The  bottom  of  the  pit  is  free  of  stones,  anil  covered  with  at  least  six  inches,  if  possible 
more,  of  good  sand.  In  this  pit  babes  may  enjoy  the  sand  play.  Deep  jumping  from  the 
sides  at  various  heights  into  the  sand  is  enjoyed  by  smaller  children.     For  broad  jumping, 

standing  and  running  it  is  excellent.    The  firs  I  attempts  al  pole  vaulting  may  be  made  IV 

the  edge  of  this  pit.     With  some  assistance  tumbling  may  be  dour  from  the  edges  into  the  pit. 

The  sand  used  in  this  jumping  pit  should  l>c  soft  quick  sand  if  the  same  can  be  obtained. 
This  is  far  superior  to  sharp  -and.  or  building  sand.  This  jumping  pit  i-,  the  best  city  sub- 
stitute for  a  sand  hank.  You  all  remember  going  Mayflowering  and  spending  half  the  time 
jumping  off  the  sand  bank.  The  jumping  pit  combined  with  the  horizontal  ladder  which  i- 
described  later  gives  practically  the  same  effect  and  is  better  adapted  for  use  in  schoolyards 
and  for  very  small  playgrounds. 


*,  t— Proceedings  P.  A.  A.,  190S. 


196  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

THE  BALANCING  Trkk.  A  large  and  perfectly  straight  tree  fifty  or  more  feet  long; 
with  the  bark  removed  is  supported  by  two  or  three  wooden  feet,  one  at  the  extreme  thick 
end.  the  oilier  sufficiently  Far  from  the  inner  end  to  allow  the  thin  end  free  play  to  swing. 
At  the  thicker  end  the  tree  may  be  two  or  more  feet  in  diameter.  It  tapers  to  an  end  four 
to  six  inches  in  diameter,  which  is  free  to  swing.  The  tree  is  so  supported  that  its  thicker 
end  and  its  upper  edge  would  be  three  to  three  and  a  half  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
tree  is  then  placed  securely  on  its  feet  so  that  its  long  axis  is  horizontal.  This  tree,  as  its 
name  implies,  gives  a  chance  for  balancing  exercises  on  a  broad  and  steady  and  also  on  a 
more  and  more  narrow  surface,  which  sways  and  swings.  It  may  be  used  for  deep  jumping 
and  vaults  of  all  kinds.  In  the  more  solid  parts  of  the  tree  holes  may  he  drilled  and  pommels 
may  be  fastened  on  it;  then  we  have  it  serve  all  the  purposes  of  a  horse  and  saddle-boom. 
Children  may  ride  on  it  astride,  may  swing  on  the  movable  part,  and  should  in  that  position 
find  great  enjoyment. 

The  Hillock.  A  small  elevation  on  the  playground,  two  to  five  feet  high,  from  three 
to  six  feet  wide  at  the  base,  tapering  off  toward  the  top,  well  covered  with  turf.  Deep  jump- 
ing, high  jumping  and  hurling  may  be  done  on,  and  off,  and  over  this.  Pole  vaulting  from 
it  may  be  taught.  This  gives  opportunity  for  the  much  enjoyed  frolic,  rolling  of  children.  In 
winter,  when  it  is  covered  with  snow,  it  gives  a  fine  start  for  the  sled.  It  invites  war  games 
for  the  possession  of  the  top  of  it. 

The  Climbing  Tree.  A  straight  tree  no  less  than  thirty  feet  high,  made  smooth,  but 
not  necessarily  altogether  even,  is  securely  implanted.  Its  top  is  protected  by  a  platform 
sufficiently  wide  not  to  allow  its  edges  to  be  grasped  by  the  climber.  While  this  apparatus 
serves  climbing  primarily  until  the  ingenuity  of  the  child  makes  it  the  center  for  the  other 
games,  it  furthers  that  type  of  climbing  which  is  the  normal  ami  natural  one,  and  which 
can  be  practised  only  on  trees  and  for  which  the  gymnasium  elimbing-pole  gives  no  chance 
at  all.    Two  of  these  may  be  made  the  end-support  of  the  playground  swings,  poles,  etc. 

The  Jumping  Stairs.  Wooden  stairs  of  ordinary  construction  leading  with  ten  or 
twelve  steps  to  a  height  of  from  six  to  eight  feet  run  either  to  a  platform,  or  better,  to 
stairs  of  the  same  type  leading  down  on  the  other  side  of  the  platform.  If  the  sides  of  this 
are  enclosed  by  boards,  and  a  door  is  cut  in,  it  may  be  made  the  receptacle  for  playground 
hand  apparatus.  These  stairs  are  surrounded  on  all  four  sides  with  sand,  of  at  least  six  inch 
thickness.  Any  one  who  has  ever  watched  the  great  fondness  of  children  for  jumping  stairs 
will  know  that  the  installation  of  this  apparatus  is  only  half  completed  before  the  children 
are  beginning  to  make  use  of  it  for  broad,  high,  and  deep  jumping.  It  may  once  more  be 
used  to  start  pole-vaulting.  Some  tumbling  may  be  done  from  it.  On  the  solid  side  of  it 
targets  may  be  painted.  The  sand  around  it  gives  a  good  place  for  the  sand  play  of  small 
children,  but  also  for  a  free  bout  of  friendly  wrestling  of  boys. 

These  pieces  of  apparatus  cost  but  little  to  install,  are  well-nigh  indestructible,  cost 
therefore  little  or  nothing  for  repairs,  take  up  little  space,  lend  themselves  to  a  thousand  and 
one  uses  at  the  hands  of  the  playground  instructor,  and,  what  is  still  better,  suggest  as  many 
and  more  uses  to  the  child  himself. 

In  Louisville  the  play  directors  were  on  the  grounds  six  hours  a  day  and  during  that 
time  the  children  were  allowed  to  play  on  the  grass,  consequently  the  swings  and  giant  strides 
were  entirely  deserted  while  organized  play  was  going  on.  After  the  teacher  left  the  grounds 
such  of  the  children  as  desired  went  into  the  gymnasiums  and  used  the  apparatus. 


D.     What  Apparatus  To  Have 

The  following  apparatus  we  have  found  the  most  valuable  to  the 
playground : 

Swings,  see-saws,  giant  strides,  horizontal  and  parallel  bars  are  the 
safest,  most  useful  and  the  cheapest  articles  of  playground  equipment.  The 
open  air  gymnasium  with  ladders,  travelling  and  trick  rings,  trapeze,  climb- 
ing and  sliding  poles,  give  the  children  opportunity  for  development  of 


HOME   MADE   EQUIPMENT  197 

arms  and  trunk  and  serve  the  psychological  purpose  of  attracting  atten- 
tion to  the  playground;  the  effect  is  impressive.  However,  we  have  found 
that  interest  in  the  gymnasium  apparatus  wears  off.  Where  onlv  a 
limited  amount  of  money  is  available,  the  outdoor  gymnasium  frame 
should  be  dispensed  with. 

A  merry-go-round,  designed  to  be  used  in  the  playground  without 
danger  of  accident,  would  be  a  most  valuable  feature.  Jumping  standards, 
spring  boards  and  playground  slides  are  also  very  popular.  The  teeter 
ladders  and  revolving  see-saw,  or  "flying  Dutchman,"  give  lots  of  fun,  but 
are  best  adapted  to  large  children;  and  then  accidents  are  apt  to  happen  if 
not  closely  watched. 

The  slide  for  life  strikes  me  as  being  one  of  the  best  pieces  of  apparatus 
available. 

In  passing  judgment  on  playground  apparatus,  the  following  points 
should  be  considered : 

(a)  Is  it  safe  ?  Will  it  run  itself,  or  wTill  some  one  have  to  stay  by  it 
all  the  time  to  keep  the  children  from  accidents  ?  The  teeter  ladder  and 
"flying  Dutchman"  are  examples  of  apparatus  interesting  but  somewhat 
unsafe. 

(b)  Does  it  appeal  to  some  fundamental  instinct  so  that  it  will  be  inter- 
esting after  the  novelty  wears  off  ?  Climbing  poles  and  ladders,  for  instance. 
Any  pieces  of  apparatus  wThich  include  the  act  of  falling,  swinging,  or  glid- 
ing, conquering  time  and  space,  seem  to  take  the  place  of  foreign  travel 
to  the  city  child,  and  are  intrinsically  interesting.  The  horizontal  and 
parallel  bars,  other  gymnastic  apparatus,  jumping  standards,  etc.,  depend 
upon  competition  and  teaching  for  their  interest. 

(c)  Simplicity.  The  less  adjustability  the  better  from  an  administra- 
tive standpoint.  Have  different  sizes  of  apparatus  for  children  of  different 
ages. 

(d)  Expense. 

(e)  Durability.  In  all  probability  the  city  would  be  liable  for  acci- 
dents occurring  from  breakage  of  apparatus. 

Playground  apparatus  which  can  stand  365  days  of  hard  service  each 
year,  during  the  rains  of  spring,  alternating  with  blistering  sunshine  and 
alkali  dust,  together  with  dry  heat  for  the  rest  of  the  year,  is  hard  to  find. 
Last  year  two  complete  gymnasium  equipments  of  a  standard  make  were 
purchased  for  use  in  the  playgrounds  of  one  city.  It  wyas  found  necessary 
this  year  to  replace  all  the  rope  and  wooden  parts  with  the  exception  of 
the  ladders  which  are  preserved  by  varnishing  and  dressing  every  few 
wreeks. 

During  the  first  part  of  my  experience  as  supervisor  of  playgrounds 
we  didn't  have  the  money  to  purchase  ready-made  apparatus,  so  I  had  to 


1J)S  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

make  it.  After  acquiring  the  habit  it  goes  against  the  grain  to  pay  money 
needed  for  land  or  teacher,  for  equipment  which  is  not  just  what  is  wanted, 
when  more  satisfactory  apparatus  can  be  made  at  two-thirds  the  cost. 

See  also  Joseph   Lee,    Home   Plin/i/romid   Proceediui/s.   I '.MIS;   same,    Play   and    Playgrounds — Our 
Civic  League;  same,  A  System  of  Playgrounds,  Chautauquan,  June,  1906. 

E.     Materials 

Wood  and  rope  should  be  dispensed  with  as  far  as  possible  in  the 
construction  of  playground  apparatus,  and  galvanized  metal  wire  cable 
and  galvanized  chain  should  take  its  place. 

1.  Rope.  If  rope  is  used  it  should  be  f"  strand,  best  quality  Manilla 
rope.  Baby  swings  can  be  made  with  V  three  strand  Manilla  rope.  All 
rope  before  using  should  be  uncoiled  and  hung  outdoors  so  that  it  will  be 
exposed  to  the  rain  and  to  the  effect  of  the  sun.  It  should  be  stretched 
until  the  stretch  is  all  out  of  it  and  then  it  should  be  tarred  with  a  thin  solu- 
tion of  pine  tar. 

2.  Steel  Cable  and  Hemp  Rope.  There  is  a  variety  of  rope  which  we 
think  will  last  for  years  if  not  forever.  It  is  made  of  small  strands  of 
steel  wire,  closely  twisted  and  then  wound  with  tarred  hemp,  after  which 
each  strand  is  made  up  into  rope.  It  is,  however,  very  expensive,  but 
in  the  long  run  we  think  it  would  be  cheaper  than  Manilla,  because  it 
would  be  unnecessary  to  make  repairs,  § "  rope  would  be  the  smallest  size 
which  is  practicable  to  use.  This  size  costs  21  cents  to  25  cents  per  foot 
wholesale,  while  f "  Manilla  rope  costs  only  about  three  cents  a  foot  or  less. 

3.  Frames.  Three  inch  standard  wrought  iron  pipe  is  the  best  material 
which  can  be  used  in  making  frames.  These  pipes  should  be  set  in  con- 
crete and  they  may  be  held  together  by  standard  "tees"  and  "ells,"  or 
universal  frame  clamps  may  be  used.  The  use  of  these  clamps  is  described 
later  and  they  make  a  great  saving  in  the  cost  of  erection. 

In  a  country  where  timber  is  cheap  wood  frames  may  be  advisable. 
Wooden  uprights  may  be  used  with  pipe  tops.  The  timber  can  be  used 
and  fitted  to  the  Universal  Clamps.  Red-wood  bears  contact  with  the 
ground  well  and  would  be  good  for  uprights. 

4.  Frictionless  Joints.  There  are  no  perfect  frictionless  joints  on 
the  market.  Ball  bearing  joints  become  clogged  with  dirt  and  sand  so 
that  they  wear  out.  Dr.  Curtis  maintains  that  they  make  the  swings  run 
easy  and  that  the  children  want  to  swing  in  them  all  day  and  this  seems  to 
us  quite  reasonable.  There  are  children  whose  only  wish  in  life  seems  to 
be  swinging  and  special  efforts  should  be  made  to  get  them  out  of  that 
stage.  A  little  swinging  is  good — too  much  is  bad  for  the  child.  The  only 
value  of  frictionless  joints  is  to  prevent  wear  and  accidents.  The  rockers 
to  rocking  joints  wear  out  unless  they  are  made  of  hardened  steel  which 
is  quite  expensive.    The  perfect  joint  is  still  to  be  discovered 


HOME    MADE    EQUIPMENT  1!)!> 

5.  Wood.  The  kind  of  wood  used  will  depend  to  a  certain  extent  upon 
the  piece  of  apparatus.  When  considerable  strength  with  extreme  lightness 
is  desired.  New  England  spruce  is  the  best.  Southern  or  Long  Leaf  Pine  is 
about  as  strong  as  spruce,  perhaps  a  little  stronger  but  much  heavier. 
White  ash  is  light  and  very  strong.  These  three  woods  are  all  more  or  less 
subject  to  splintering.  The  Southern  Pine  perhaps  splinters  the  least  of 
any  of  them.  Washington  fir  or  Washington  pine  or  spruce,  as  it  is  some- 
times called,  is  very  similar  to  New  England  spruce  and  much  easier  to 
obtain.  It  is  especially  good  about  warping.  White  oak  is  a  very  tough, 
close  grained  wood,  which  does  not  splinter  and  is  valuable  for  anything 
which  receives  considerable  wear,  such  as  swing  boards,  climbing  poles,  etc. 
It  stands  the  weather  well  but  is  very  apt  to  check.  Hickory  is  the  strongest 
of  the  woods,  but  does  not  stand  the  weather  well.  Rock  maple  is  a  fine, 
close  grained  wood,  which  wears  well  and  is  not  affected  badly  by  moisture. 
(It  is  the  wood  usually  used  in  making  washing  machines.)  Rock  maple  is 
good  for  use  on  playground  slides,  and  is  one  of  the  cheapest  woods.  Do 
not  get  white  maple;  it  is  no  good. 

To  secure  the  best  results  all  wood  used  in  the  construction  of  plav- 
ground  apparatus  should  be  very  carefully  kiln-dried,  after  which  it  should 
be  either  soaked  in  linseed  oil  or  covered  with  enough  coats  to  nearlv  satu- 
rate  it.  After  it  is  dried  a  coat  of  shellac  should  be  applied,  then  a  coat  of 
the  best  spar  varnish.  All  parts  which  go  into  the  ground  should  be  covered 
with  one  or  two  coats  of  tar. 

Boiled  linseed  oil  gives  the  best  finish  to  the  wood  but  it  is  more  ex- 
pensive than  raw  linseed  oil.  There  are  a  number  of  waterproofing  ma- 
terials for  wood  on  the  market  and  if  anv  one  would  care  to  test  any  of  them 
we  would  be  glad  to  furnish  the  addresses  of  the  houses  selling  them.  This 
might  be  an  interesting  study  to  some  of  the  playground  manual  training 
instructors  or  students. 

6.  Conxrete.  Directions  for  making  concrete  can  be  secured  from  any 
of  the  wholesale  dealers  in  Portland  Cement.  We  have  used  both  natural 
and  Portland  Cement  in  erecting  frames.  The  concrete  made  from  natural 
cement  was  1  to  3  mixture  which  means  1  part  cement,  1  part  sand,  and  3 
parts  crushed  rock  or  clean  gravel.  The  proportions  of  1  part  cement.  2 
or  2.V  parts  sand,  and  3,  5  or  8  parts  of  gravel  or  crushed  rock,  are  recom- 
mended for  use  with  some  brands  of  cement.  Where  gravel  is  used  not 
so  much  sand  is  needed.  When  using  the  Portland  Cement  we  used  the 
1  to  5  mixture.  Most  contractors  when  setting  up  your  equipment  of 
apparatus  for  you  would  use  a  1  to  8  mixture,  especially  if  you  were  not 
looking.  And  for  this  reason  it  is  best  always  to  set  up  your  own  frames. 
Concrete  should  be  mixed  rather  dry  so  as  to  tamp  in  place. 


CHAPTER  XXVI* 

Playcraft — Home  Made  Apparatus 

Plans,  Specifications  and   Directions  for  the   Manufacture  of 

the  Same 

By  A.  and  L.  H.  Leland 

Playground  Architects 

Templeton,  Mass. 

No.  1 


PLAN    OF     CONSTRUCTION    AND 


SPECIFICATIONS     FOR     BASKET 


BALL      GOALS      AND     SCREENS, 


AND    IRON    PIPE   JUMP 


STANDARDS 


Screens.  Screens  shall  be 
made  of  thoroughly  well  sea- 
soned lumber  or  kiln  dried 
lumber.  The  frame  shall  be 
made  of  No.  1  spruce  or  South- 
ern pine,  dressed  4  sides,  l^" 
x  3|"  net.  Size  of  screen  over 
all  shall  be  6'  x  4'.  Face  of 
screen  shall  be  made  of  No. 
1  D.  and  M.  fencing,  securely 
attached  to  frame  work. 

The  face  of  this  screen  may 
be  made  of  No.  14  or  No.  11 
galvanized  wire. 


♦This  chapter  is  also  issued  in  the 
form  of  Reprints  for  contractor's  use  in 
preparing  bids  and  in  the  construction  of 
apparatus. 


201 


202 


IM.WtiHOUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


Posts.  Posts  shall  be  made  of  No.  1  spruce  or  Southern  pine,  6"  x 
(i"  x  6*  x  1G',  dressed  4  sides,  with  4'  on  1  end  covered  with  tar.  At  other 
end  posts  must  be  fitted  so  as  to  hold  screen  which  is  to  be  held  in  place  by 
two  \"  x  6£"  carriage  bolts  with  washers,  which  contractor  will  furnish, 
boring  holes  through  post  and  screen  to  receive  the  same. 

Finish.  All  wood  work  must  be  finished  either  with  2  coats  of  first 
class  outdoor  paint,  dark  bronze  green,  except  face  of  the  screen  which 
shall  be  finished  with  2  coats  of  lighter  color  best  outdoor  paint;  or  with 
1  coat  boiled  linseed  oil,  1  coat  shellac,  and  1  coat  best  spar  varnish. 


VI  EW  ^'.  [Z 


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Erection — Posts  should  be  set  in  a  5  to  1  mixture  of  concrete,  as  per  plan. 


PLAYC  RAIT 


203 


Jump  Standards.  "Wrought  iron  pipe  makes  the  best  jump  stand- 
ards for  the  money.  Take  2  pieces  l\"  x  16'.  Paint  the  inches  on  them 
with  white  paint,  alternating  bands  of  black  and  white  and  set  in  concrete. 
The  little  fitting  (A,  Fig.  1),  which  holds  on  the  bar  can  be  purchased  for 
50  cents  each.  For  a  jumping  stick,  use  a  piece  of  square  steel  tubing 
20  gauge  x  13'  painted  white.  Round  tubing  with  the  ends  flattened  so  as 
not  to  roll,  may  be  used. 


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Vtf777FTTJfm* 


JUMP   STANDARD 


204 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCItAFT 


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HORIZONTAU      BAR 


PLAN   OF    CONSTRUCTION    AND    SPECIFICATIONS    FOR    HORIZONTAL    BARS 

Posts.  Posts  to  be  of  well  seasoned  or  kiln  dried  oak,  spruce  or 
Southern  pine,  6"  x  8"  x  11^',  dressed  4  sides,  and  bored  according  to  the 
plan  appended. 

Bar.  Bar  to  be  made  of  a  selected,  smooth  piece  of  1"  galvanized 
wrought  iron  pipe,  7'3"  long,  with  a  1"  galvanized  cap,  threaded  upon 
1  end,  and  with  a  \"  hole  drilled  through  the  pipe,  3V  from  the  other  end, 
through  which  the  adjustment  pin  is  inserted.  All  roughness  and  sharp 
edges  must  be  removed  from  the  pipe. 

Horizontal  Bar  of  Steel  Shafting,  1j"  in  diameter  may  be  used 
in  place  of  the  galvanized  pipe.  This  bar  should  be  galvanized  to  protect 
it  from  the  weather. 


PLAYCRAFT  205 

Adjustment  Pin.  Adjustment  pin  should  be  made  of  wrought  iron 
or  mild  steel,  0000000  gauge,  which  will  just  slip  into  \"  hole  (if  this  gauge 
is  not  easily  obtainable  use  \"  rod  and  make  the  holes  through  the  post 
1-32"  or  1-16"  larger  than  V.    Pin  should  be  welded  in  shape  as  per  plan. 

Finish.  Posts,  where  put  in  the  ground,  should  be  coated  with  tar. 
Other  wood  work  must  be  finished  either  with  2  coats  first  class  outdoor 
paint,  dark  bronze  green,  or  with  1  coat  boiled  linseed  oil,  1  coat  shellac, 
1  coat  best  spar  varnish. 

Note — Posts  should  be  set  in  a  5  to  1  mixture  of  concrete,  as  per  plan.     Whenever  different 
kinds  of  materials  are  mentioned,  cross  out  what  you  do  not  wish. 

Parallel  Bars.  Parallel  bar  tops  should  be  made  of  metal,  steel 
or  brass  tubing,  \\"  in  diameter  and  ten  feet  long,  with  the  ends  rounded. 
The  ends  may  be  rounded  by  tapping  a  thread  on  the  inside,  plugging  the 
ends,  and  then  filling  with  lead  or  brass  and  filing  the  ends  round  and 
smooth.  Two  inch  galvanized  pipe  uprights,  with  2"  x  8"  flanges  on  the 
bottom  should  be  used.  Each  of  these  should  be  set  on  a  bed  of  concrete 
2'  x  18",  so  that  the  bars  would  be  15"  apart  for  boys  and  18"  apart  for 
men.  The  usefulness  of  the  bars  will  increase  if  the  pipe  uprights  are  set 
in  at  an  angle  so  that  the  bottoms  are  8"  farther  apart  than  the  tops. 
Wooden  bars  may  be  used  for  the  tops;  these  should  be  of  white  oak  or 
hickory  and  should  be  not  over  9"  long.  Both  wood  and  metal  bars  are 
attached  to  uprights  by  castings  which  cost  about  fifty  cents  apiece.  When 
these  castings  are  used  the  bars  may  be  taken  in  at  night. 

On  the  whole  we  have  not  found  parallel  bars  of  much  use  on  the  play- 
grounds. 


206 


PLAY(;U<)INI)    TKdlNigi'K     \M)    1M.AYCRAFT 


No.  3 

PLAN    OF    CONSTRUCTION    AND    SPECIFICATIONS    FOR    SAND    BOX 

Sides  of  Box.  Sides  of  boxes  shall  he  made  of  thoroughly  well 
seasoned  lumber,  Xo.  1  spruce  or  Southern  pine,  dressed  4  sides,  1;"  x  12" 
net.  The  upper  edges  of  the  boxes  shall  be  rounded  off  as  indicated  in  the 
appended  plan.    Kiln  dried  is  best. 

Stakes.  Stakes  shall  be  made  of  thoroughly  well  seasoned  No.  1 
spruce.  Southern  pine,  or  cedar,  with  the  ends  which  go  in  the  ground 
dipped  in  tar.    Upper  end  of  stake  to  be  finished  as  indicated  in  plan. 


^/v  y  a  f-aunrf  ArcA/ftcts. 


Finish.  All  wood  work  must  be  finished  either  with  2  coats  of  first 
class  outdoor  paint,  dark  bronze  green;  or  with  1  coat  boiled  linseed  oil,  1 
coat  shellac,  1  coat  best  spar  varnish. 

Sand  Boxes.  Sand  boxes  are  the  main  essential  for  the  play  of  small 
children.  The  kind  illustrated  is  good,  but  it  is  sometimes  preferable  to 
make  them  half  the  width  in  order  to  keep  the  children  from  getting  inside. 

Some  thin  boards  about  10"  wide  should  be  laid  across  the  top  of  the 
sand  box  for  the  children  to  use  in  molding,  etc. 


PLAYCRAFT 


207 


Raised  Sand  Boxes.  Very  often,  legs  and  a  bottom  are  put  on  a 
sand  box.  This  makes  it  impossible  for  the  children  to  get  in  and  gives 
a  shady  place  underneath  in  which  to  play  with  blocks. 


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cy  a. 


..4f~K/'--i 


PLAN    OF    FRAME    BRACE 


Frame  Braces.  In  case  the  frames  set  up  as  directed  should  move, 
brace  them  in  the  manner  illustrated.  B  represents  a  piece  of  blk.  pipe 
l\"  x  6',  thread  2  ends.  C  is  a  \\"  x  6"  cast  flange.  Pipe  B  is  attached  to 
pipe  A  by  special  45°  castings.  The  end  is  set  in  concrete.  In  case  concrete 
should  be  very  expensive  in  your  city,  a  smaller  amount  may  be  used  for 
pipe  A  and  two  braces  used. 


J()S 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


No.  4 

PLAN  OF   CONSTRUCTION,   SPECIFICATIONS  AND   CONTRACT  FOR  FURNISHING 

"FLYING  DUTCHMAN 


FLYING    DUTCHMAN 
Used  in  St.  Paul  six  years.     Cost  $15.00 


CONTRACT  FOR  FURNISHING  FLYING  DUTCHMAN. 

Know  All  Men  by  These  Presents,  that  this  agreement  made  this 
dav   of   -  -,    A.    D.    19 , 


between 
and    — 


party  of  the  first  part, 
party    of    the 


second  part, 

Witnesseth,  that  the  party  of  the  first  part  agrees  to  furnish  and  de- 
liver   at    whichever    playground    specified, flying 

dutchmen,  made  according  to  the  specifications  hereinafter  recorded,  and 
according  to  plan  appended. 


PLAYCRAFT 


209 


Party  of  the  second  part  shall  direct  the  place  of  delivery  and  when 
work  is  completed  according  to  specifications,  agrees  to  pay  to  party  of  the 


first  part  the  sum  of 


dollars. 


SPECIFICATIONS 

Board.  (Fig.  1  G.)  To  be  made  of  oak,  white  ash,  or  Southern  pine, 
thoroughly  seasoned  or  kiln  dried,  If"  x  2"  x  14',  dressed  4  sides  and  sanded, 
with  the  ends  milled  as  per  appended  plan  and  edges  rounded  as  far  as  the 
handles. 

Handles.  Handles  are  made  as  per  plan  from  a  piece  of  oak,  2"  x 
3"  x  10",  thoroughly  smoothed  and  sanded,  and  are  attached  to  board  by 
means  of  2^"  x  5"  carriage  bolts  (Fig.  3  I) . 


u  n   </  A   r«  A»r«cf*. 


<    &*     > 


(WORKING    DRAWING   OF    FLYING    DUTCHMAN) 

Pivot.  Board  pivots  and  revolves  by  means  of  f*  x  11"  steel  shaft 
(Fig.  1  B)  which  is  inserted  into  the  sides  of  a  piece  of  plank  of  hard  wood, 
2"  x  6"  x  3'  (Fig.  2  D) .  This  plank  is  attached  to  the  under  side  of  the  see- 
saw board  by  means  of  2f"  x  8",  2f"  x  6"  and  9\"  x  W  carriage  bolts, 
which  run  through  it  and  into  the  board. 

Revolving  Axis.  The  revolving  motion  is  secured  by  taking  a  3\" 
wagon  skein  {Fig.  2,  E  &  F),  sawing  off  the  inner  piece  (Fig.  2  E)  so  that 
the  outer  portion  (Fig.  2  F),  when  attached  to  the  rod  (Fig.  1  B)  by  means 
of  having  a  hole  drilled  through  it,  will  revolve  around  on  E  as  an  axis. 

On  the  inside  of  D,  attached  to  it  by  screws,  is  a  piece  of  hard  wood 
(J)  1"  thick  in  the  center,  tapering  at  the  end  to  |",  3"  wide  and  12"  long 


210  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

(see  Fig.  1).  This  serves  to  prevent  the  top  board  from  any  lateral  move- 
ment which  would  otherwise  take  place  as  the  top  of  F  is  narrower  than 
the  space  between  the  2  side  pieces  D. 

Post.  The  post  is  made  from  a  piece  of  Washington  fir  or  Southern 
pine,  8"  x  8"  x  .5'.  dressed  on  4  sides,  with  the  corners  chamfered  and  fitted 
at  the  upper  end  so  as  to  receive  the  wagon  skein.  The  lower  end  of  this 
post  is  to  be  coated  with  tar  and  set  in  5  to  1  mixture  concrete,  as  per 
plan. 

Finish.  All  wood  work  is  to  be  finished  with  3  coats  of  boiled  linseed 
oil,  1  coat  shellac  and  1  coat  best  spar  varnish. 

All  work  must  be  done  according  to  the  plan  and  in  first  class  work- 
manship manner. 

Witness  our  hands  and  seals  the  day  and  year  first  above  written. 

(seal)  . 

— (seal)  . 

Note — Wherever  different  kinds  of  materials  are  mentioned,  cross  out  what  you  do  riot  wish. 
Use  same  form  of  contract  for  all  wood  work. 


PLAVCK  \I  r 


211 


No. 


DIRECTIONS   FOR   MAKING    AND    ERECTING    SWING    FRAMES    Willi    STANDARD 

FITTINGS 


WE    NEED   TO    PLAY    IN    WINTER 


SPECIFICATIONS 

All  pipe  for  frame  shall  be  seamless,  lap-welded  wrought  iron  pipe. 
All  fittings  shall  be  malleable. 

Pipe  and  Fittings  Required.  (See  Fig.  1  Iron  Pipe  Swings.) 
A  and  D  are  2  pieces  of  blk.  pipe  3"  x  12',  threaded  on  1  end.  B  and  C  are 
2  pieces  of  blk.  pipe  3"  x  15'  threaded  on  1  end.  R,  S  and  T  are  3  pieces 
wrought  iron  rod  inserted  through  holes  drilled  through  the  bottoms  of 
pipes  A,  B,  C  and  D,  the  lowest  one  of  these  holes  (T)  being  (>"  from  the 
bottom  of  the  pipe,  and  the  other  two  are  at  S.  being  each  1'  apart. 

H  is  one  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  11/6",  threaded  both  ends.  (',  &  I  are 
2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  10'6",  threaded  both  ends.  X  is  four  3"  x  3"  blk. 
malleable  ells.  J  is  2  blk.  mall.  3"  tees,  reamed  and  shrunk  onto  .">"  pipe 
and  riveted  in  place  with  hot  \"  rivets.      (Great  care  must  be  observed  in 


212 


PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 


placing  these  reamed  tees  so  that  bottoms  of  pipes  A  and  D  shall  be  in  a 
straight  line  with  the  bottoms  of  pipes  B  and  C.) 

Braces.  The  frame  is  braced  by  2  braces  (Fig.  2  E  and  F),  made  of 
f*  round  iron,  with  a  ,!"  eye  at  each  end,  the  upper  ends  to  be  attached  to  the 
frame  by  means  of  home  made  swing  fitting,  the  eye  to  the. brace  fitting  in 
where  the  swing  hook  is  indicated  (detail  of  this  fitting  may  be  seen  in  Re- 
print No.  6) ;  the  lower  ends  of  these  brace  rods  have  short  pieces  of  f " 
round  iron  inserted  through  the  eye  and  set  in  concrete  as  indicated  in 
Fig.  2. 

Levelling  the  Ground.  Dig  the  holes  about  4^'  deep,  drive  stakes 
in  the  ground  on  the  outside  of  hole  N  and  hole  K.  About  6"  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground  attach  a  stove  pipe  wire  to  the  stake  at  hole  N  and 
run  this  stove  pipe  wire  over  to  the  stake  at  hole  K.  Then  take  a  carpenter's 
or  mason's  level  and  hold  it  midway  between  the  2  holes,  against  the  under 
side  of  the  stove  pipe  wire.  Have  your  assistant  raise  or  lower  the  loose 
end  of  the  wire  until  the  wire  is  very  nearly  level,  then  drive  stakes  outside 
holes  L  and  M  in  line  with  the  other  2  stakes  so  that  when  the  wire  rests 
upon  the  top  of  these  stakes  last  driven,  it  will  in  all  of  its  parts  be  level. 
After  this  has  been  accomplished,  take  4  sta*kes  about  10"  or  12"  long,  and 
drive  them  down  in  the  bottom  of  each  hole  until  the  top  of  each  stake  is 
equidistant  from  the  stove  pipe  wire.  The  distance  from  the  top  of  the 
ground  to  the  top  of  the  stakes  should  be  approximately  4';  if  the  ground 
is  on  a  slant  an  average  should  be  struck.  After  the  stakes  are  driven  prop- 
erly, fill  the  holes  with  concrete  up  to  the  top  of  the  stake,  and  while  this 
is  drying  put  your  frame  together. 


mE  ^ititc  I  Ft 


ft  ft® 


M    G 


rnoNTView  or  frrjvie  rnDMitw  QF  fiuwtt 

IRON    PIPE   SWINGS— FIGURES   1,  2    AND   3    (H    SCALE) 


Erection  of  the  Frame.  The  frame  must  be  put  together  on  the 
ground,  the  ends  slid  into  the  holes,  the  whole  thing  raised  at  once,  braced 
plumb,  in  line,  level  and  then  cemented  in.  All  of  which  is  no  small  job. 
The  method  is  as  follows : 

Select  the  most  level  side  of  the  holes,  attach  the  2  elbows  (X)  to  pipe 
H;  by  holding  the  pipe  with  a  3"  pipe  wrench  and  screwing  the  fitting  on 


PLAYCRAFT  213 

with  an  old  bat  club  or  other  piece  of  hard  wood,  this  feat  can  be  accom- 
plished with  1  wrench.  Next  take  pipes  B  and  C  and  put  their  lower  ends 
just  by  the  near  edges  of  the  holes  and  screw  the  other  ends  into  the  elbow 
X,  which  is  connected  to  pipe  II.  Then  screw  the  elbows  on  the  outside 
ends  of  pipes  G  and  I,  then  screw  the  other  ends  of  these  2  pipes  into  the 
tees  (J).  Next  screw  pipes  A  and  D  into  the  elbows  which  are  attached  to 
the  ends  of  pipes  I  and  G.  Next  take  a  chalk  line  and  get  the  lower  ends  of 
pipes  A,  B,  C  and  D  in  a  straight  line,  with  their  lower  ends  just  resting 
over  the  inside  edge  of  the  hole.  The  next  process  is  to  get  four  boys  to 
hold  planks  on  the  sides  of  the  holes  opposite  the  ends  of  the  pipe  (this  is  to 
keep  the  pipe  from  digging  holes,  when  it  is  raised).  Place  a  good  husky 
laborer  back  of  each  pipe  with  a  short  piece  of  2  x  4;  station  your  foreman 
back  of  pipe  H  with  a  long  2x4  (about  16'  long)  and  have  2  x  4s  about 
12'  long  within  easy  reach  back  of  pipes  A,  B,  C  and  D.  Have  your  men 
get  underneath  and  take  a  lift,  holding  the  frame  up,  with  the  short  2  x  4s, 
while  they  rest,  and  so  on  until  the  frame  is  in  the  bottom  of  the  hole.  Line 
up  all  the  pipes  and  plumb  them,  holding  them  in  place  by  2  x  4s  nailed 
across  each  other  on  each  pipe,  and  bracing  the  ends  of  the  two  outside 
pipes  A  and  D.  As  soon  as  all  pipes  are  in  line  and  plumbed,  put  in  the 
concrete,  which  should  be  a  5  to  1  mixture  with  Portland  cement. 

Estimates. 

Pipe  87'  3"  at  25c  to  30c  per  foot,  $21 .  75  to  $26 .  10 

Four  3"  ells, 

Two  3"  tees, 

Reaming  out  and  drilling  two  3"  tees 

Cutting  8  threads  (40c  each), 

Concrete  required,  about  2^  yards  at  $5 .  00  to 

$6.00  per  yd. 
*Labor,  foreman  2  to  3  days  at  $4 .  00  per 

day 

Four  common  laborers,  2  to  3  days  at 
$2 .  00  per  day 

$66.71       $86.56 

Caution.  Don't  be  in  a  hurry  about  concreting  the  frame.  It  does 
not  pay.  It  is  pretty  hard  work  to  pick  the  concrete  out  if  you  don't  get 
it  in  just  right.    We  dug  one  out  and  so  appreciate  this  fact. 

Cover  the  holes  up  at  night.  Have  a  watchman  while  the  concrete 
is  hardening. 

(For  swings  and  swing  fittings  for  this  frame,  see  article  under  swings 
and  rope  fittings,  Reprint  No.  6.) 


2.40 

2.40 

1.86 

1.86 

1 .  00  to 

2.00 

3.20 

3.20 

12.50  to 

15.00 

8.00  to 

12.00 

16.00  to 

24.00 

*Should  it  rain  so  as  to  fill  up  the  holes,  the  expense  will  he  increased  greatly.  When 
we  were  putting  up  the  St.  Paul  frames  we  had  to  dig  the  holes  out  every  day  for  a  week, 
and  finally  had  to  set  the  frame  up  on  Sunday,  the  only  pleasant  day  we  could  get. 


214  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCBAFT 

DIRECTIONS   K)U    MAKING   AND   ERECTING  SWING  FRAMES  WITH  UNIVERSAL 

CLAMP  FITTINGS 

SPECIFICATIONS 

All  pipe  for  frame  shall  be  seamless,  lap  welded,  wrought  iron  pipe. 
All  fittings  shall  he  malleable. 

Pipe  Required.     (See  Equipment  No.  1  A.) 

5  pieces  blk.  pipe,  3"  x  12',  with  or  without  thread. 
2  pieces  blk.  pipe,  3"  x  15',  with  or  without  thread. 
Total  90'  blk.  pipe  at  25c  to  30c  per  foot. 

Fittings  Required. 

2  Universal  Tees,  at  $3.00  each. 
4  Universal  Ells,  at  $'■2.15  each. 

Braces.  The  frame  may  be  braced  in  the  same  manner  as  is  the  frame 
using  standard  fittings,  or  it  may  be  braced  by  use  of  a  1^"  x  16'  blk.  iron 
pipe,  threaded  2  ends,  attached  to  the  frame  by  a  45°  clamp  and  with  a 
1  \"  x  6"  flange  set  in  concrete.  (See  Reprint  No.  3.)  This  pipe  will  cost 
about  10c  per  foot,  the  threads  12c  each.  The  special  casting  mentioned 
will  cost  about  $1.00. 

Levelling  the  Ground.  It  is  not  necessary  to  level  the  holes  as 
carefully  with  this  type  swing  as  when  using  standard  fittings.  The  2  mid- 
dle pipes  must  be  placed  level.  The  2  outside  pipes  near  enough  level  to 
look  right.  The  universal  bolted  fitting  which  is  adjustable  on  the  pipe, 
makes  this  possible.  The  frame  can  be  set  up  on  quite  a  steep  side  hill,  with- 
out inconvenience,  in  terraces,  accommodating  itself  to  all  kinds  of  surfaces. 
Whenever  possible  however  I  should  level  the  ground  either  in  the  manner 
before  mentioned  or  with  the  assistance  of  an  engineer.  We  would  advise 
following-  the  method  before  mentioned  with  regard  to  making  a  founda- 
tion  for  the  pipe. 

Erection  of  the  Frame.  The  universal  fitting  makes  the  erection 
of  the  frame  a  very  easy  matter.  After  the  holes  are  levelled  on  the  bottom, 
set  up  the  2  outside  pipes,  with  the  proper  fittings  loosely  attached.  Brace 
these  pipes  by  means  of  three  2  x  4s  nailed  together  so  that  their  bases  form 
a  triangle.  Get  the  pipes  plumb,  and  then  concrete  them.  The  2  center 
pipes  are  to  be  erected  in  the  same  way. 

After  the  concrete  has  hardened,  take  the  2  lower  top  pipes,  lift  up 
into  place  in  the  clamps  using  a  step  ladder,  then  bolt  into  place.  Standing 
on  top  of  these  2  pipes  haul  up  the  highest  pipe,  lay  that  on  top  and  bolt 
into  place.    Care  must  be  taken,  of  course,  to  line  up  the  4  upright  pipes. 


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315 


216  playground  technique  and  playcraft 

Estimates. 

Pipe,  90'  3"  at  25c.  to  30c.  per  foot  $22.50  to  $27.00 

Fittings,  Universal  17.00  17.00 

Concrete,  fy  yds.  at  $5.00  to  $6.00  12.50  to  15 .00 

*Labor,  foreman  J  day  to  1  day  at  $4.00  2.00  to  4 .  00 
Two  common  laborers  \  day  to  1  day  at 

$2.00  per  day  2.00  to  4.00 


$56.00  to  $67.00 
For  swings  and  swing  fittings  for  this  frame  see  Reprint  No.  6. 


*On  account  of  the  short  time  required  in  setting  up  this  frame  there  is  little  danger  of  rain  or 
children  filling  up  holes  and  causing  extra  expense. 


PLAYCRAFT 


217 


No.   6 


HOME-MADE    SWING    FITTINGS 
DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  HOME-MADE  SWING  FITTING 

This  fitting  can  be  made  by  the  Manual  Training  class  in  forging  or 
by  a  blacksmith.  The  detail  is  shown  in  Fig.  1  and  Fig.  2.  B  is  a  wrought 
iron  or  mild  steel  band  5-16"  x  IV,  bent  to  fit  around  3"  pipe  (which  is  3V 
outside  measurement) .  Hole  is  drilled  through  the  bottom  ends  of  this  band 
and  a  h"  x  %\"  hexagon  head  and  nut  machine  bolt  (C)  is  inserted  through, 
holding  in  place  hook  (A)  which  is  made  of  Y  wrought  iron,  and  upon 
which  the  eye  to  the  swing  or  other  apparatus  hangs.  It  is  advisable  to  put 
these  fittings  on  the  pipe  before  the  frame  is  put  together,  as  it  will  be  diffi- 
cult to  get  them  to  fit  the  pipe  without  considerable  hammering. 


HOME-MADE   SWING    BOARD    AND    ATTACHMENT 


HOME  MADE  SWING  BOARD  AND  ROPE  PROTECTIVE  ATTACHMENT 

Fig.  1  is  an  end  view  of  the  swing  board  and  Fig.  2  shows  one  side. 
There  are  various  opinions  regarding  the  proper  weight  for  swing  boards. 
The  heavier  they  are,  the  less  danger  of  their  breaking,  and  the  greater 
danger  there  is  of  their  breaking  the  children's  heads.  We  have  always 
preferred  to  save  heads,  perhaps  at  the  expense  of  the  boards,  and  for  this 


2  IK 


IM.AYCJUOl'NI)    TECHNIQUE    AM)    PLAYCBAFT 


reason  have  always  made  our  swing  boards  of  the  following  dimensions 
and  materials.  Kiln  dried  oak  £"  x  <>"  x  IS",  with  the  corners  rounded  on  a 
quarter  circle  and  the  edges  smoothed  and  sanded.  These  hoards  should 
be  given  4  or  .">  coals  of  linseed  oil,  or  better  still  soaked  for  a  week  in  the  oil. 

The  rope  protective  attachment  is  shown  in  Fig.  1  and  Fig.  2.  The 
wire  (C)  is  made  of  |"  stock  with  a  loop  up  at  the  top  (A)  and  the  bottom 
ends  are  threaded  and  run  through  the  boards  and  through  an  iron  plate 
(B)  at  the  bottom  of  the  board  near  the  ends.  Then  a  nut  (D)  is  screwed 
onto  the  stirrup.  This  plate  underneath  is  }"  x  ,!"  x  .51",  with  the  ends 
rounded  so  as  to  have  no  sharp  points.  It  is  held  in  place  upon  the  board 
by  means  of  a  couple  of  screws.  The  distance  from  the  end  of  the  board 
to  the  center  of  the  hole,  through  which  the  stirrup  goes,  is  1}".  The  dis- 
tance from  the  sides  of  the  board  to  the  center  of  the  hole  through  which  the 
stirrup  runs  should  be  I". 

The  method  of  attaching  rope  to  this  stirrup  is  as  follows:  Rope  is  run 
down  through  the  loop  (A)  in  under  the  place  where  the  2  wires  forming 
the  loop  cross  each  other,  and  then  back  again  through  the  loop  (A)  in 
the  opposite  direction  from  which  it  went  through  first.  Then  the  end  is 
spliced  into  the  perpendicular  piece  of  rope.  Fig.  2  gives  a  good  idea  of 
the  way  this  will  look  when  completed.  This  crossing  of  the  rope  makes 
a  firm  hitch  and  does  away  with  the  necessity  of  using  a  rope  eye  at  this 
point,  which  we  consider  dangerous  as  the  children  are  liable  to  catch  their 
hands  in  it. 


F/f.Z 


SPLICE    FOR    PLAYGROUND    APPARATUS 


Eye  Splice  for  Use  on  Playground  Apparatus.  The  home-made 
swing  fitting  requires  that  the  rope  hanging  from  it  be  spliced  around  a 
galvanized  eye.    The  method  of  splicing  is  as  follows : 

Unravel  the  three  strands  of  rope  and  lay  them  across  the  main  body 
of  the  rope  in  the  order  A,  B,  C,  as  shown  in  Fig.  1.  Push  strand  C  through 
the  rope  as  shown  in  Fig.  2,  then  put  strand  B  over  the  part  through  which 
C  has  passed  and  push  under  the  next  strand,  and  last  push  strand  A 
through  on  the  opposite  side.  When  this  is  done,  repeat  2  or  3  times  until 
the  splice  assumes  the  form  in  Fig.  3.  Then  cut  off  the  end  and  if  the 
splice  is  to  be  down  where  the  children  can  reach  it,  wind  and  sew  with 
lashing  twine.     Care  should  be  taken  to  pull  the  strands  tight  over  the  eye. 

DIRECTIONS    FOR    ASSEMBLING    SWING    USING    SPECIAL    CASTINGS 

A  picture  of  this  is  shown  on  pages  98  and  221.  There  are  a  variety 
of  so  called  frictionless  joints.    So  far  as  we  knowr  none  of  them  are  friction- 


IM.AY(  KAFT 


219 


less.  Ball  bearing  jointsget  dry  and  rust  and  rocker  fittings  wear  out,  es- 
pecially when  made  of  malleable  iron.  Of  course  it  is  very  important  from 
the  point  of  safety  for  all  attachments  of  playground  apparatus  to  be  so 
made  that  they  cannot  wear  out  even  when  badlv  neglected.  We  have 
tested  the  rocker  fitting  alluded  to  and  find  that  when  all  the  wearing  sin- 
faces  are  made  out  of  cast  tool  steel,  the  wearing  qualities  of  the  fitting  are 
increased  many  times.  Incidentally  we  mighl  state  that  this  tool  steel  costs 
about  3  times  as  much  as  malleable  iron. 


*v*  Z* 


ROPE    ATTACHMENTS 


The  method  of  attaching  rope  to  the  eye  of  the  rocker  is  as  follows: 
the  end  of  the  rope  is  carefully  wound  and  thrust  up  through  the  bottom 
of  the  hook  (see  Fig.  2),  about  5"  of  the  rope  protruding  through  the  mouth 
of  the  hook.  Then  take  the  rope  and  put  it  in  a  vise  so  that  the  lower  edges 
of  the  hook  rest  against  the  jaws  of  the  vise  which  is  tightened  to  keep  the 
rope  from  slipping  out  (see  Fig.  1).  The  strands  of  the  rope  are  now  all 
unravelled  as  far  as  the  hook,  opened  up,  and  spread  out  carefully  -■>  as  to 
have  a  hole  in  the  center  with  the  fringe  of  rope  equally  distributed  all 
around  it.  Then  a  wedge  screw,  which  we  will  describe  later,  is  inserted 
into  this  center  of  the  rope  and  pounded  down  with  a  hammer  until  it  fits 
inside  the  hook  coming  just  below  the  under  side  of  the  top  of  the  hook. 
Then  a  screw  driver  is  inserted  between  the  top  of  the  wedge  screw  and 
the  hook;  on  this  screw  driver  blows  from  a  hammer  are  applied  until  the 
wedge  screw  is  pounded  down  into  the  inside  of  the  casting.  Great  care 
should  be  taken  to  see  that  the  wedge  screw  goes  down  straight  and  that 
it  has  rope  on  all  sides  of  it  and  that  the  rope  is  not  pushed  down  through 
the  hook.  If  an  iron  vise  is  used  it  would  be  best  to  put  some  soft  material 
like  canvas  over  the  jaws  to  prevent  cutting  the  rope.  After  the  operations 
are  completed  cut  off  the  loose  strands  of  the  rope  being  careful  to  cut  at 
least  \"  above  the  top  of  the  wedge  screw. 


220 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYC'RAFT 


Molding  Wedge  Screws.  Fig.  3  shows  a  pattern  which  is  used  in 
making  the  wedge  screw.  This  pattern  can  be  turned  out  or  can  be  whit- 
tled out  as  desired. 


I 


'j 


(Make  head  i"  shorter,  -ft"  less  in  diameter  than  shown  in  cut.) 


Make  a  small  box  about  G"  square  and  4"  deep.  Fill  this  with  mould- 
ing sand,  which  can  be  secured  at  a  foundry.  Push  the  little  pattern  down 
into  the  sand,  making  a  number  of  impressions.  Then  put  into  each  one 
of  these  holes  a  \"  x  2"  lag  screw  end  (if  a  lag  screw  end  is  unobtainable, 
saw  the  head  off  a  lag  screw) .  Apply  a  little  hydrocloric  acid  with  a  stick 
to  each  piece  of  iron  and  then  pour  melted  lead  into  the  mold.  This  will 
make  a  finished  wedge  screw,  which  can  be  used  in  assembling  the  swing. 

Swing  Board  and  Rope  Protective  Casting.  The  swing  board 
used  should  be  the  same  as  that  described    under  Home  Made  Swings. 

For  attaching  swing  board  to  swing  board  rope  a  casting  having  a 
cylinder  running  through  the  board  is  used.  This  casting  is  screwed  to 
the  bottom  of  the  board  with  \"  screws  and  the  rope  is  held  inside  it  in  the 
same  manner  as  in  the  hook.  The  rope  should  be  left  6"  to  8"  long  below 
the  swing  board  in  order  to  make  it  possible  to  pull  the  rope  out  and  shorten 
it  up  in  case  it  stretches. 


SWING  BOARD 
CASTING 


Protects  ffop« 
From  U/ea.t 


7o  /MJti-r  t, 


/lnc//Df**f///      ffl     Wed^e  Seer 
.•/111,  \\  \    Pt-opet  ienyth 


Of  /?K/>« 


/»    St*\*rtcl 


adjustable  swing  boahd  fitting 


PLAYCRAFT  221 

The  holes  for  these  swing  board  castings  should  he  bored  in  the  center 
of  each  end.  Two  inches  in  from  the  outside  to  the  center  of  the  hole, 
commencing'  on  the  bottom  side  of  the  board,  bore  a  hole  l!,1."  in 
diameter.  This  hole  should  be  bored  to  the  depth  of  V'.  Remove  the  bit 
and  bore  another  hole  l/(."  through  the  remaining  thickness  of  the 
board;  with  a  little  fitting  the  swing  board  casting  will  exactly  fit. 


Estimate. 

The  swing  boards  described,  when  treated  with  oil,  will  probably 

cost  about  75c  each. 
Rough  casting  of  hook  will  cost  about  15c  each. 
Rough  swing  board  seat  casting  would  cost  about  25c  each. 
Rough  castings  for  the  frictionless  joint  connection  would  cost 

Cast  tool  steel,  about  $3.00  per  pair; 

Malleable  iron  about  $2.00  per  pair. 
\"  x  2"  hex.  head  and  nut  machine  bolts  for  attaching  clamps  to 

frame  cost  about  2^c  each, 
f"  x  If"  hex.  head  and  nut  machine  bolts  for  attaching  eye  to 

upper  part  of  rocker,  cost  about  2c  each. 


TOOL   STEEL    FRICTIONLESS   JOINT 


Note — Great  care  must  be  used  in  inserting:  rope  into  rope  hook.  Another  form  of 
hook  which  is  easier  to  manipulate  can  be  obtained.  With  tin's  the  rope  is  spliced  around 
instead  of  run  through,  and  no  wedge  screw  is  required. 


222 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


No. 


DIRECTIONS    FOR    MAKING     HOME-MADE   WAGON   SKEIN   GIANT   STRIDE,    AND 
HOME-MADE   GIANTfSTRIDE  WITH  MACHINED   HEAD 


Fig.  1 


Fie  1+ 


JO-'-* 


-ScucJ-jf  ,/v  to  |Fr 

Fig.  3 
FIGURES    1,  2,  3    AND    4— GIANT    STRIDES    WITH    MACHINED    HEAD 


DIRECTIONS    FOR    MAKING    GIANT    STRIDES    USING    MACHINED    HEADS 

There  are  two  general  styles  of  giant  strides  on  the  market  illustrated 
by  Fig.  1  and  Fig.  2.  Fig.  1  is  the  style  head  which  has  been  developed  by 
the  machine  companies;  Fig.  2  illustrates  another  form  of  head,  the  idea  of 
which  first  came  from  the  Boston  playgrounds.  It  has  these  advantages 
over  the  old  style,  in  that  the  balls  are  much  larger,  giving  less  friction  and 
the  fact  that  the  ball  races  are  much  broader  than  in  the  old  style  gives 


PLAYCRAFT  223 

much  less  leverage.  A  glance  at  the  cut  will  illustrate  our  meaning;  the 
fulcrum  of  the  lever  is  located  at  F,  on  the  halls  when  power  is  applied  at 
P  by  a  child  hanging  onto  the  rope;  the  power  arm  of  the  lever,  or  the  dis- 
tance between  P  and  F  vou  will  note  is  much  less  in  Fi<r.  2  than  in  Fiir.  1, 
whereas  the  weight  arm,  the  distance  from  F  to  W  is  much  greater  in  Ffer.  2 
than  in  Fig.  1,  hence  the  leverage  of  the  old  style  giant  stride  will  be  much 
greater  than  that  of  the  new  style;  consequently  we  would  expect  that  the 
giant  stride  shown  in  Fig.  2  would  run  very  much  more  evenly  and  more 
easily,  which  from  experiment  proves  to  be  the  fact. 

Giant  Stride  Posts.  Giant  strides  should  wherever  possible  be 
placed  16'  above  ground,  whereas  in  many  cases  they  are  placed  only  14' 
above  ground.  Whenever  space  is  available  the  greater  heighth  should 
be  used  as  the  children  are  much  less  liable  to  hit  the  post  and  the  exercise 
is  more  enjoyable. 

Posts  should  be  set  in  the  ground  4'  in  a  bed  of  concrete  2'  at  the  top 
and  3'  at  the  bottom.  The  bottom  of  post  should  be  set  on  a  large  building 
stone  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  3,  or  it  should  be  placed  on  a  small  pier  made 
out  of  concrete.    Concrete  should  be  a  5  to  1  mixture. 

Hangers.  The  hanger  used  will  depend  upon  the  use  you  wish  to 
make  of  your  giant  stride.  If  you  wish  to  make  it  most  enjoyable  to  the 
children,  the  loop  illustrated  in  Fig.  4  will  be  the  best  kind  to  use.  This 
hangs  very  low,  just  above  the  ground,  when  hanging  directly  down.  The 
children  put  the  loop  over  their  heads  and  half  sit  and  half  stand  in  while 
they  run  around,  gaining  momentum  until  they  sit  entirely  in  the  loop  and 
swing  off  from  their  feet.  With  this  rope  loop  there  is  absolutely  no  danger 
of  accidents,  as  there  are  no  hard  materials  to  strike  the  children. 

Another  form  of  hanger,  which  perhaps  gives  more  and  better  exercise 
if  the  children  will  take  it,  is  the  knotted  rope  hanger  made  in  every  way 
like  the  loop  hanger,  except  that  the  lower  end  is  knotted  about  every  6" 
and  the  children  take  hold  of  these  knots  with  their  hands  while  thev  run 
around. 

The  loop  hanger  should  be  made  as  follows:  (see  Fig.  4)  A  loose  knot 
(F)  should  be  made  in  the  rope,  near  enough  to  the  bottom  so  that  the  loop 
when  made,  will  be  about  30"  long.  Through  this  knot  the  end  of  the  rope 
is  passed  and  a  knot  made  in  the  end  (E).  Then  both  knots  are  pulled 
tight,  and  then  wet  and  pulled  tighter  still.  At  the  upper  end  of  this  £" 
Manila  rope  a  rope  hook  (D)  is  attached  according  to  the  directions  given 
under  swings  with  special  castings.  Into  this  hook  is  attached  an  S  hook 
(B)  and  the  other  end  of  this  S  hook  is  attached  to  a  3-16"  galvanized 
chain  (A)  which  is  about  18"  long  and  continuing  upward  is  attached  into 
the  eye  of  the  giant  stride  as  shown  in  Fig.  2.  The  completed  hanger 
should  be  the  same  length  as  the  height  of  the  pole.  The  point  C  of  hook 
D  should  be  hammered  down  so  that  the  hook  cannot  be  removed  from 
the  S  hook  at  any  place  but  point  ( i. 


224 


PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


$15.00 

20.00 
$6.00  to      8.00 


Materials  Used. 

1  machined  giant  stride  head  will  cost 

For  malleable  iron, 

For  cast  tool  steel 
1  piece  black  pipe  4"  x  20'  will  cost 
6  pieces  gal.  3-16"  chain,  6c  to  10c  per  foot 
1  doz.  5-16"  S  hooks  10c  to  15c  each 

About  120'  of  £■*  3  strand  Manila  rope,  at  from  3c  to  5c  per  foot 
£  doz.  £ "  rope  hooks  about  15c  each 

About  1  yd.  concrete  5  to  1  mixture,  $5.00  to      6.00 

Labor  required  to  erect,  3  laborers  about  3  hours;  1  foreman. 


< I0r- > 

FIGURES    1,  2    AND   3— WAGON    SKEIN   GIANT   STRIDE 


PLAYCRAFT  225 

Finish  Required.  All  exposed  metal  parts  should  be  painted  with 
1  coat  black  asphaltum  varnish.  Time  required,  1  man  about  3  hours. 
About  1  qt.  black  asphaltum  varnish. 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  WAGON  SKEIN  GIANT  STRIDE 

This  is  the  cheapest  form  of  giant  stride  and  was  designed  by  us  for 
use  in  St.  Paul,  when  we  had  a  very  small  appropriation.  The  head  is 
made  from  an  old  wagon  skein  (Fig.  2  A)  around  which  is  fitted  an  iron 
ring,  Y  in  thickness  (Fig.  2  B) .  This  ring  has  6-h"  holes  drilled  in  it  to  admit 
the  loop  ring  (D).  From  this  ring  the  hangers  (Fig.  1  C)  are  suspended. 
These  hangers  mav  be  made  as  shown  in  Fig.  4,  or  thev  mav  be  made 
without  any  chain  at  the  top.  If  the  hook  is  to  be  attached  directly  into  the 
ring  (B),  the  ring  should  have  a  dent  (K)  made  in  it  so  that  when  the  hook 
is  turned  it  can  easily  be  removed  from  the  ring  in  order  to  take  the  hangers 
off  at  night. 

Materials  Required.  One  3"  wagon  skein,  with  ring  as  per  plan, 
6  rope  hooks,  about  135'  of  f"  Manila  rope,  1  post  16'  long,  8"  x  8",  with 
the  corners  chamfered  so  as  not  to  hurt  the  children.  Two  pieces  6"  x  6"  x 
10'  (Fig.  3  G),  4  pieces  6"  x  6"  x  5'  9"  (Fig.  3  H)  fitted  as  per  plan,  1  bolt 
f "  x  19"  (Fig.  3  I)  and  1  bolt  f  "  x  23"  (Fig.  3  J) ;  these  bolts  are  used  to  at- 
tach the  4  pieces  H  to  post  F.  Pieces  H  and  F  are  attached  to  pieces  G 
by  means  of  spikes.  All  lumber  should  be  well  seasoned  southern  pine  or 
spruce,  dressed  4  sides  and  finished  with  2  coats  best  outdoor  paint,  except 
the  part  which  goes  in  the  ground  and  that  should  be  coated  with  tar. 

It  should  be  possible  to  make  and  erect  one  of  these  giant  strides  for 
$15.00  to  $20.00  and  it  should  last  several  seasons. 


p 

C/3 


C/2 

Q 

C3 

O 


Eh 


Q 


o 


226 


PLAYCRAFT 


227 


No.  8 

directions  for  making  and  erecting  four  and  five  board  teeter 
frames  with  standard  fittings  and  with  universal 

clamp  fittings 

specifications 

Pipe  and  Fittings  Required  for  Four  Board  Teeter  Frame. 

1  piece  blk.  wrought  iron  pipe,  3"  x  15'4",  thread  2  ends. 

3  pieces  blk.  wrought  iron  pipe,  3"  x  4',  thread  1  end  (see  note). 

2  3"  malleable  elbows. 

1  special  clamp  tee  is  needed  for  the  middle  of  this  frame.    It  will 
cost  about  $1.25. 


/^  fi..-V   *«*>  **■  ••*. 


T"^ 


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t*i&tr  — r 


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B     "»-a- 


Pipe  and  Fittings  Required  for  Five  Board  Teeter  Frame. 

1  piece  blk.  wrought  iron  pipe,  3"  x  19'2"  or  20',  thread  both  ends. 
3  pieces  blk.  wrought  iron  pipe,  3"  x  4',  thread  1  end. 


228  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

2  S"  malleable  ells. 

1  special  clamp  tee  is  needed  for  the  middle  of  this  frame.    It  will 

cost  about  $1.25. 
5  teeter  boards  complete. 

This  frame  is  designed  for  the  use  of  small  children  and  for  12'  boards, 
as  specified  below.  If  it  is  desired  to  use  14'  boards,  or  to  have  the  frame 
used  by  larger  children,  (see  note). 

Note — The  above  specifications  are  for  teeter  frames  using  12'  boards. 
14'  boards,  however,  are  more  desirable,  the  angle  of  the  board  being  less 
than  with  the  short  board  making  accidents  less  numerous.  If  14'  boards 
are  desired,  the  pipe  specifications  so  noted  should  be  3"  longer,  allowing 
the  frame  to  be  placed  3"  higher  from  the  ground. 

This  style  frame,  using  standard  fittings,  as  specified,  is  the  cheapest 
and  best  method  of  construction,  and  we  recommend  it  in  preference  to  the 
frame  illustrated  in  cut.  If,  however,  the  frame  assembled  with  universal 
fittings  is  desired,  it  will  be  necessarv  onlv  to  substitute  universal  ells  for 
the  standard  ells  and  add  two  3"  caps  for  each  teeter  frame. 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  TEETER  BOARDS 

Boards.  Boards  should  be  made  of  oak.  Washington  spruce,  or 
Southern  pine,  preferably  the  first,  1|"  x  10"  x  1L2',  or  14',  dressed  4  sides, 
milled  as  per  plan  appended  with  the  ends  cut  on  a  half  circle  and  with  all 
edges  rounded  slightly  and  shaded.  Boards  should  be  finished  by  applying 
4  or  5  coats  of  boiled  or  raw  linseed  oil  (the  first  gives  the  better  finish), 

1  coat  shellac,  and  1  coat  best  spar  varnish. 

Attaching  Boards  to  Frames.  There  are  two  methods  of  attaching 
boards  to  frames;  the  adjustable  method  is  shown  in  Fig.  3  and  requires 

2  special  castings,  and  spring  steel  adjuster,  which  goes  below  the  pipe. 
These  castings  and  adjustments  will  cost  about  $3.00  per  board. 

Another  method,  and  we  think  a  cheaper  and  better  one,  is  shown 
under  Figs.  5  and  6.  It  consists  of  a  small  casting  (D),  which  rests  on  the 
pipe.  This  casting  rests  upon  2  pieces  of  hard  wood  (B),  which  are  cut 
from  pieces  2"  wide  by  2"  thick  and  18"  long;  the  radius  of  the  circle  on 
which  the  inner  ends  of  these  pieces  (B)  are  cut  to  fit  the  casting  (D)  is  24/'. 
The  4  pieces  (B)  are  attached  to  the  under  side  of  the  board,  so  that  the 
outside  edges  of  the  small  pieces  are  \"  inside  the  outside  edge  of  the  board. 
This  places  the  casting  in  under  the  board,  so  that  there  is  no  danger  of 
the  children  pinching  their  fingers  or  catching  their  clothes.  The  pieces 
(B)  should  be  smoothed,  sanded  and  finished,  as  per  directions  for  finishing 
board.  They  are  attached  to  board  by  means  of  \"  x  4V'  carriage  bolts  (E) , 
which  go  through  the  top  of  the  board,  down  through  the  castings,  where 
they  are  bolted.  As  illustrated  in  the  drawing  F  is  a  f"  x  4"  carriage  bolt. 
G  represents  2  \"  screws,  which  complete  the  attachment. 


PLAYCRAFT 


229 


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DETAIL  OF  TEETER  BOARD  FRAME  ATTACHMENT 


We  have  never  had  any  difficulty  with  this  attachment  and  it  has 
been  in  use  in  St.  Paul  for  5  or  6  years.  These  castings  will  cost  about  50c 
each,  or  you  can  have  them  made  by  the  forging  class  out  of  a  piece  of  §"  x 
2"  mild  steel. 

In  order  to  lock  up  the  teeter  boards  at  night,  we  bored  \\"  holes 
through  the  boards  in  the  center  about  8"  in  from  the  ends  and  run  a  chain 
through  all  the  boards,  which  we  laid  on  top  of  each  other  beside  the  frame, 
and  securely  padlocked  the  chain  to  the  frame.    This  kept  them  from  work- 


ing overtime. 


Estimates. 

The  four  board  teeter  frame  has  cost  us,  made  up  by  contract, 

$25.00  to  $30.00. 
The  five  board  teeter  frame  we  have  never  made  up,  but  think 

it  would  cost  $3.00  or  $4.00  more  than  the  other  one. 
(These  estimates  include  the  boards.) 

Estimate  of  Erecting  Frame. 

Concrete  required,  about  1-5  yd.  5  to  1  mixture  with  Portland 

.    cement  at  $5.00  to  $6.00  per  yard. 
Labor  required,  2  men  \  day  to  1  day  with  good  luck. 
Holes  should  be  levelled  and  frame  assembled  as  shown  by  di- 
rections for  erecting  swings. 


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PLAYCRAFT  231 


No.  9 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  AND  ERECTING  BACK  YARD  EQUIPMENT  FOR  SMALL 

CHILDREN 

SPECIFICATIONS 

This  equipment  is  designed  for  very  small  city  back  yards.  It  consists 
of  swing  frame  containing  8  leather  seat  baby  swings,  3  small  wood  seat 
swings.  At  each  end  of  the  frame  is  a  small  playground  slide.  Beyond 
this  at  one  end  is  a  sand  box.  Awning  covering  the  whole  equipment  in 
case  there  is  no  shade.  At  the  other  side  of  the  swings  a  four  board  teeter 
frame  is  placed.  This  leaves  not  quite  half  of  the  ground  free  for  games. 
Rapidly  growing  vines  should  be  placed  around  the  fence. 

MATERIALS  FOR  FRAMES 

2  pieces  wrought  iron  pipe  3"  x  18',  thread  two  ends.  4  pieces  wrought 
iron  pipe  3"  x  10',  thread  1  end.  1  3"  blk.  mall.  ell.  2  pattern  XTl  castings. 
1  universal  ell.    4  pieces  channel  iron  2"  x  3-16"  x  18". 

Frame  for  attaching  awning.  3  timbers,  3"  x  4"  x  12'H".  2  pieces 
blk.  pipe  l\"  x  3'8V',  thread  1  end.    2  special  clamps  for  1^"  pipe. 

Erecting  the  Frames.  Level  the  holes  as  directed  in  Reprint 
No.  5.  Set  up  the  four  upright  pipes,  tamping  dirt  around  the  two 
outside  ones  and  placing  the  two  center  pipes  with  a  little  bed  of  con- 
crete, 18"  x  18"  x  6",  set  in  around  the  channel  irons  which  are  attached  to 
this  frame,  by  means  of  U  shaped  loops  bolted  through  the  channel  iron 
and  around  the  pipe.  This  makes  it  very  easy  to  remove  the  frames  from 
the  ground  to  set  up  somewhere  else,  as  it  is  only  necessary  to  break  off 
the  concrete  and  dig  out  the  pipes. 

When  the  4  uprights  are  set,  take  the  2  top  pieces  and  connect  them 
on  the  ground  with  the  coupling.  Then  raise  them  up  into  the  castings  on 
top  of  the  pipe,  i.  e.  2  tees  and  a  universal  ell.  Then  thread  the  end  of  the 
pipe  into  the  standard  ell  at  the  left  hand  end.  Then  clamp  the  other  3 
fittings  on. 

Frame  for  Awning.  The  frame  work  of  this  consists  of  3  pieces  of 
3"  x  4",  12V  long,  with  holes  bored  near  the  top  to  receive  a  V  rope  on 
which  this  awning  is  hung.  These  posts  are  set  in  the  ground  to  a  depth 
of  2'.  The  awning  over  the  center  of  the  swings  is  held  up  by  2  pieces  of 
blk.  pipe  \\  x  3'  8j"'  encl  threaded  with  holes  bored  at  the  top  to  receive 
Y  rope.  The  awning  is  then  stretched  over  this  and  attached  to  supports 
at  the  sides. 


232 


PLAYGROUND    TE<  UNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


ATTACHING  Slides  to  Frames.  Slides  are  attached  to  frames  on 
one  side  and  to  the  upright  posts  on  the  other. 

Hammock  Swings.  Hammock  swings  may  be  suspended  from  a  joist 
connecting  the  two  right  hand  awning  supports  over  one  end  of  the  sand 
box.  The  other  end  of  the  hammocks  can  be  attached  to  the  fence  or  to  a 
frame  work. 

DIRECTIONS   FOR   CONSTRUCTING    SLIDES   TO   BE   ATTACHED   TO   BACK   YARD 

PLAYGROUND  EQUIPMENT 

Procure  from  a  dealer  in  sheet  steel  a  piece  of  16  gauge  x  24"  x  120" 
galvanized  sheet  steel.  At  the  ends  cut  out  four  corners  l£"  square.  Bend 
down  the  sides  to  form  a  channel,  so  that  the  width  of  the  steel  shall  be 
21",  which  is  the  width  of  inside  of  the  slide. 

F  in  the  different  figures  represents  this  steel. 

Secure  two  pieces  of  wood  \\"  x  3f"  x  10'  IV.  These  form  the  side 
pieces  (K)  to  the  slide. 


FIGURES    5,  6,  7,  8    AND    9 
SIDE   ELEVATION   OF   SLIDE   FOR   BACK   YARD   PLAYGROUND    EQUIPMENT 


Two  pieces  ty"  x  H"  x  9'  9"  hard  wood  (H)  with  the  upper  ends  cut 
off  at  an  angle  of  30°  are  then  inserted  inside  the  channels  of  this  steel  (I) 
as  shown  in  Fig.  3  with  the  side  pieces  (K)  on  the  outside. 

Then  a  hole  is  drilled  through  K  and  F  and  I  as  shown  in  Fig.  3  and 
a  3-16"  x  3\"  carriage  bolt  inserted.  Then  these  bolts  are  placed  every 
10"  throughout  the  length  of  the  steel. 

A  §"  x  24"  carriage  bolt  (Fig.  5  R)  is  then  run  through  the  side  (K) 
directly  in  under  the  steel,  which  is  then  hammered  over  it  and  around  it. 
At  the  lower  end  of  the  slide,  the  steel  is  hammered  down  into  a  groove 


I'I.AY<  KAIT 


233 


cut  in  the  face  of  M  (Fig.  8)  and  then  screwed  into  place  by  No.  8  x  1" 
round  head  wood  screws.  M  is  attached  to  the  stakes  (D)  by  4>\"  x  4" 
carriage  bolts  (see  Fig.  8  N) . 

If  desired,  the  bottom  of  the  sheet  may  be  pounded  around  a  \"  x  24" 
steel  rod,  threaded  on  each  end  and  with  two  nuts  on  each  end,  which  are 
placed,  one  inside  of  side  K  and  the  other  outside  of  side  K.  This  bolt  will 
serve  to  keep  the  steel  in  place  and  will  also  keep  the  slide  from  sagging 
in  the  middle,  but  perhaps  the  simplest  way  is  to  use  the  first  method. 


FIGURES    1,  2.  3    AND    4 
DETAIL   OF   SLIDES   FOR   BACKYARD    EQUIPMENT 


Slide  Steps.  Procure  two  pieces  of  wood  1;"  x  3;"  x  8'  3".  Cut  the 
bottom  piece  off  on  an  angle  of  60°,  and  7"  up  from  the  bottom,  on  the  front 
side  make  a  mark  for  the  bottom  of  the  first  step.  8"  above  this,  on  the 
same  side,  marks  the  bottom  of  the  second  step  and  so  on  up. 


284  PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

The  steps  are  -J"  x  3\"  x  23f"  and  fit  into  mortises  cut  in  the  sides  f" 
deep  (see  Fig.  1  and  Fig.  2).  They  are  all  cut  at  an  angle  of  60°.  Great 
care  should  be  taken  to  thoroughly  sand  and  smooth  them  so  that  the 
children  will  not  hurt  themselves. 

The  top  step  is  shown  in  Fig.  2.  It  fits  directly  over  the  steel  where 
wound  around  rod  (R). 

The  connection  between  the  slide  and  the  ladder  is  shown  in  Fig.  4. 

A  V'  x  8"  carriage  bolt  extends  through  the  sides  of  the  two  and  through 
the  upright  post,  which  supports  the  awning,  previously  spoken  about 
under  Back  Yard  Equipment.  The  other  side,  which  is  next  to  the  iron 
pipe  post  of  the  swing,  is  connected  by  a  special  casting,  through  which 
a  Y  x  5"  bolt  end  is  driven  and  headed  while  hot  into  a  hole  countersunk 
in  the  inside  of  the  casting  (E) .  This  casting  with  the  bolt  may  be  secured 
for  about  $1.25,  or  the  casting  may  be  purchased  and  the  bolt  fixed  up  by 
the  manual  training  class  or  a  fitting  may  be  forged. 

The  bottom  of  the  slide  is  secured  by  a  stake  (Q)  which  is  driven  in 
the  ground  to  a  depth  of  2".  This  stake  is  If*  x  3f"  x  2'  6",  and  the  steps 
are  fastened  to  it  by  |*  x  4"  carriage  bolts  (C) . 

Hand  Rails.  The  hand  rails  (L)  are  made  of  f*  round  iron  about 
9'  long.  At  the  top  of  the  slide  (S)  it  is  bent  so  as  to  fit  around  the  slide  as 
shown  in  Fig.  9,  the  bend  of  the  metal  (V)  being  on  the  inside  of  the  slide. 

A  5-16"  bolt  (T)  which  has  the  end  (W)  bent  around  the  guard  rail  (L) 
is  put  through  the  side  (C)  at  (S),  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  9. 

The  lower  end  of  the  guard  rail  rests  upon  the  third  step  from  the 
bottom  on  the  inside  of  the  frame,  and  is  held  in  place  by  two  bolts,  such  as 
hold  the  upper  end. 

Finish.  Wood  used  should  be  oak,  Southern  pine  or  maple,  finished 
with  one  coat  oil,  one  coat  shellac,  one  coat  spar  varnish. 

Estimates.  This  slide  used  to  cost  us  $12.00  to  $15.00  made  up  in 
quantities  under  contract.  The  necessary  materials  ought  not  to  cost  more 
than  $5.00  or  $6.00. 

The  slide  when  attached  to  the  frame  acts  as  a  first  class  brace,  making 
it  absolutely  immovable. 

A  higher  slide  can  be  constructed  in  the  same  manner. 

Note— For  details  of  Teeters  and  Sand  Boxes  see  under  Reprints  Nos.  3  and  8. 


PLAYCRAFT 


235 


No.    10 

DIRECTIONS    FOR    MAKING    COMBINATION    STEEL    LADDER    AND    CHEST    BARS 
WITH  JUMPING  PIT,  STEEL    INCLINE   LADDER,  AND  SLIDING  POLES 

This  combination  is  an  ideal  one  for  school-yard  playgrounds  or  for 
anv  place  where  the  play  space  is  very  limited.  We  all  of  us,  when  we  were 
children,  dearly  loved  to  jump  off  a  sand  hank  and  this  equipment  brings 
the  sand  bank  home  to  the  city  child  with  the  added  pleasure  and  exercise 
to  be  irained  from  use  of  the  horizontal  ladder  and  chest  bars. 


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COMBINATION    LADDER    AND    CHEST    BARS    WITH    JUMPING    PIT 


specifications 

Ladder  and  Chest  Bars. 

2  pieces  galvanized  wrought  iron  pipe,  U"  x  16',  threaded  both 

ends. 
2  pieces  galvanized  wrought  iron  pipe,  l\"  x  16',  no  threads. 
18  pieces  galvanized  wrought  iron  pipe,  1  "  x  20"  (rungs). 
1  pieces  galvanized  wrought  iron  pipe,  2  "  x  !)'  6",  thread  2_ends 

(uprights) . 
4  black  flanges  2"  x  5". 
4  gal.  mall,  reducing  elbows  21"  x  1\". 


286  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PJLAYCRAFT 

4  special  plugs,  threaded  into  lj"pipe,  tapped  for  f"  machine 

screws. 
4  s"  x  3"  machine  screws,  C.  H. 
86  B.  II.  rivets  |*  x  3f",  or  36  |"  x  3f"  R.  H.  stove  bolts. 

Jumping  Pit. 

4  pieces  Washington  fir  or  Southern  pine  dressed  3  sides,  2"  x  12* 

xl7'. 
4  pieces  "Washington  fir  or  Southern  pine  dressed  3  sides,  2"  x  12" 

x  W5». 
2  pieces  Washington  fir  or  Southern  pine  dressed  3  sides,  2"  x  12" 

x4'. 
2  pieces  Washington  fir  or  Southern  pine  dressed  3  sides,  2"  x  12" 
x  4'  7". 
12  pieces  Washington  fir  or  Southern  pine  dressed  4  sides,  3"  x  3" 

x  2'6". 
Nails. 

Concrete  Required. 

Two  1'  4"  x  2'  9"  x  2'  9"  piers  of  5  to  1  mixture  of  Portland  cement. 

Construction.  This  ladder  is  made  similar  to  the  incline  ladder 
except  that  the  only  special  casting  required  is  a  very  small  one,  which  holds 
the  lower  pipe  to  the  2"  upright.  This  plug  is  screwed  into  the  end  of  the 
14/  pipe  and  is  tapped  to  hold  a  f"  x  3"  countersunk  head  machine  screw, 
which  goes  through  the  2"  pipe  upright  and  into  the  center  of  the  plug, 
holding  the  ladder  firm.  The  spacing  of  the  rungs  is  the  same  as  in  the  other 
ladder,  except  that  the  two  end  rungs  are  placed  12"  in  from  the  ends. 
The  top  pipes  of  the  ladder  are  threaded  into  \"  x  2"  reducing  ells. 

Erection.  Level  the  holes  as  directed  for  swing  frames.  Assemble 
the  ladder,  and  place  in  the  holes.  Brace  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  used 
in  bracing  the  swing  frames,  and  then  set  in  concrete. 

Estimate.  Materials  and  labor  for  making  up  these  ladders  will 
cost  $1.25  to  $1.50  per  foot  including  special  castings,  but  not  including  the 
price  of  the  special  tool  necessary.  This  special  tool  will  cost  $6.00  to  $8.00 
to  have  made,  but  will  last  indefinitely. 

Different  tools  are  required  for  the  riveted  ladder  and  for  the  bolted 
ladder. 

Special  Fittings.  The  special  fittings  required  for  attaching  ladders 
to  frames  will  cost  about  $3.00  per  set.  The  special  castings  used  for  attach- 
ing horizontal  and  chest  bar  ladder  to  uprights  will  cost  about  $1.00  per  set. 

These  steel  ladders  are  without  question  the  strongest  ladders  which 
have  ever  been  made,  and  much  superior  in  strength  and  durability  to  the 
pressed  steel  ladders  on  the  market.  It  looks  to  us  absolutely  impossible 
to  break  or  wear  them  out. 


PLAYCRAFT 


237 


Fy». 


STEEL   INCLINE    LADDER    AND    SLIDING    POLES 


SPECIFICATIONS 

All  pipe  and  fittings  galvanized  unless  otherwise  specified.    All  fittings 
to  be  malleable  unless  otherwise  specified. 

Ladder. 

2  pieces  pipe  \\"  x  16',  one  end  threaded. 
2  pieces  pipe  If"  x  16',  one  end  threaded. 
15  pieces  pipe  1"    x  20". 
4  El  castings. 
4  E  castings. 

Arch  Handles. 

2  pieces  pipe  f  "  x  49",  thread  1  end. 
2  1"  x  f "  reducing  elbows. 
4  hex.  head  and  nut  bolts,  \"  x  If*. 
4  hex.  head  and  nut  bolts,  \"  x  2f". 
34  B.  H.  rivets,  f"  x  3f ",  or  34  f"  x  Sf "  R.  H.  stove  bolts. 
2  cast  flanges,  black,  If"  x  3V. 
2  cast  black  flanges,  H"  x  4£". 


Construction.  The  construction  of  this  ladder  is  shown  in  Fig.  1 ; 
a  hole  is  drilled  through  the  H"  pipe  (A),  through  the  1"  pipe  (C).  f"  in 
from  the  end,  and  through  the  If"  pipe  (D).  The  first  holes  are  com- 
menced 8"  down  from  the  top  end  of  the  ladder,  and  from  there  on  the  holes 
are  placed  10"  apart,  center  to  center.  After  the  holes  are  all  drilled,  they 
are  all  reamed  out  so  as  to  enable  a  f"  x  3|"  stove  bolt  (E)  to  go  through 
and  screw  into  the  nut  (B)  which  is  placed  in  the  inside  of  the  If  pipe  (A) 
by  means  of  a  special  tool.  Another  method  of  attaching  the  rungs,  is  to 
use  f"  x  3|"  B.  II.  rivets  and  head  them  into  the  inside  of  the  pipe  while 
hot.    This,  however,  is  very  difficult,  as  the  rivet  has  a  tendency  to  buckle 


238 


PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


when  hot.    This  can  be  obviated,  however,  by  wrapping  the  upper  end  of 

the  rivet  in  asbestos  to  keep  it  from  heating.  The 
ladder  rungs  are  20"  long,  and  the  ends  must  be 
ground  otf  perfectly  smooth.  The  f"  holes  in  the  ends 
of  the  rung:  are  19V"  from  center  to  center. 

Special  Castings.  Special  castings,  which  fit 
into  the  ends  of  the  two  pipes  are  required  to  attach 
ladder  to  frame  (Fig.  2  A,  page  237).  These  cast- 
ings are  held  in  place  by  two  $"  x  f  "  round  head  ma- 
chine screws,  which  are  tapped  through  the  pipe  and 
through  the  casting  on  the  inner  side  in  such  a  manner 
as  not  to  be  in  danger  of  catching  the  children  s 
clothes.  The  arch  handle  illustrated  is  unnecessary 
when  this  ladder  is  used  with  the  combination  swing 
and  gymnasium  frame,  for  which  it  is  designed. 

SLIDING  POLES 

No  wooden  sliding  pole  should  ever  be  used.  We  know  of  a  great 
many  accidents  caused  by  slivers.  In  many  places,  where  wooden  poles  are 
used,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  a  man  all  the  time  dressing  them  down. 

Sliding  poles  should  always  be  placed  opposite  some  means  of  gaining 
access  to  them.  We  cannot  see  any  use  in  sliding  poles  which  end  at  the 
top  of  frame. 

Construction.  H"  selected,  smooth,  galvanized  pipe  is  the  best 
material  for  sliding  poles  which  we  know  of.  Fig.  2  illustrates  a  pair  of 
sliding  poles  made  this  way.  They  should  be  set  in  a  small  amount  of  con- 
crete at  the  bottom  and  should  have  flanges  at  the  end. 

Attachment  to  Frame.  Sliding  poles  are  attached  to  the  frame  in 
the  following  manner.  Take  two  3"  x  3"  x  H"  galvanized  tees,  have  them 
reamed  out  and  in  one  side  of  the  3"  run  drill  a  \"  hole.  These  fittings  must 
be  slid  onto  the  pipe  of  the  frame  and  then  the  sliding  poles  threaded  into 
them.  They  should  be  placed  inside  of  the  fittings  which  hold  the  ladder. 
After  the  concrete  at  the  bottom  is  set,  take  a  drill,  any  size  up  to  V,  and 
drill  a  hole  part  way  into  the  3"  pipe  of  the  frame.  Then  fill  this  with  hot 
lead,  and  smooth  off.  The  lead  will  keep  the  fittings  from  slipping.  This 
fitting,  however,  has  one  defect  in  that  the  lip  holding  the  1\"  pipe  is  not 
long  enough;  it  also  is  quite  expensive  machining  the  fitting  out.  We  plan 
to  design  a  fitting  which  will  overcome  these  difficulties,  and  cheapen  the 
cost  of  construction. 

specifications 
2  pieces  pipe  H"  x  18',  thread  2  ends. 

1  piece  pipe     1"  x  21f",  thread  both  ends  (2nd  rung  from  top). 

2  3"  x  3"  x  H"  reducing  tees,  to  be  reamed  out  to  slide  over  3"  pipe. 

Estimates. 

The  pipe  for  these  sliding  poles  will  cost  14c  to  15c  per  foot. 
The  fittings  about  $1.15  each  and  machine  work  75c  or  $1.00. 


PI.AYCRAFT  239 


No.  11 

DIRECTIONS    FOR    MAKING    AND    ERECTING    COMBINATION    SWING    AND    GYM- 
NASIUM   FRAME,    AND    FOR    MAKIXG    TEETER    LADDER 

This  play  equipment  has  a  frame  made  of  3"  steel  pipe  held  together 
with  Universal  Frame  Connections,  making  the  strongest  frame  which 
can  be  made.  The  ladders  and  sliding  poles  serve  as  braces  giving  abso- 
lute rigidity. 

If  at  any  time  it  is  desired  to  enlarge  this  frame,  it  can  easily  be  made 
into  a  square  gymnasium  by  duplicating  for  the  other  end  and  connecting 
the  two  ends  with  steel  pipes.  The  climbing  pole  will  be  removed  and  a 
set  of  traveling  rings  inserted. 

The  upright  pipe  at  the  top  of  the  ladder  and  sliding  poles  acts  as  a 
handle  for  the  children  to  grasp  when  going  from  the  ladder  to  the  poles. 
Upon  this  frame  are  attached  the  following  pieces  of  apparatus : 

6  11'  swings,  1  all  steel  incline  ladder, 

1  pr.  trick  rings,  2  pr.  all  steel  incline  poles, 

1  steel  and  cable  trapeze,  1  steel  climbing  pole, 

1  rope  ladder  made  of  steel  cable  with  steel  rungs. 

From  the  pipe  above  the  incline  ladder  attachment  can  be  secured 
for  the  Slide  for  Life,  which  is  designed  to  extend  from  this  place  to  an 
attachment  upon  some  other  piece  of  apparatus. 

Pipe  Required  for  Frame.  The  following  pipe  is  required  for 
frame : 

2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  15'.  with  or  without  threads.     (A   &  D.) 

2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  15',  thread  1  end.     (E   &  G.) 

1  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  3'  6",  thread  1  end.     (Short  end  of  F.) 

1  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  20',  thread  1  end.     (F.) 

2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  19',  with  or  without  threads. 
2  pieces  galvanized  pipe  \\"  x  3'  C-V",  thread  2  ends. 

Fittings  Required. 

4  universal  tees.     (H,  I,  J   &  K.) 

2  universal  ells.     (L   &  H.) 

4  3"  x  \\"  special  bolted  frame  clamps,  attachment  for  securing 

ladders  and  apparatus  to  frame  listed  under  directions  for 

making  the  same. 

directions  for  erecting  the  frame 
Level  the  holes  as  under  directions  for  erecting  swing  frames  (Reprint 
No.  5).     Place  fittings  (H),  (K),  (J)  &  (L)  as  indicated  in  plan,  page  139. 


240 


PLAYCRAFT  241 

Set  in  concrete  as  previously  directed,  then  place  pipe  ((')  with  the  right 
hand  end  resting  in  the  hollow  of  casting  (K).  Attach  to  the  other  end 
on  the  ground  steel  ladder  and  steel  sliding  poles  with  fitting  (I)  attached 
to  the  pipe- just  outside  them.  Then  raise  the  ladder  and  the  sliding  poles 
up  into  the  position  where  they  should  go  (or  follow  the  same  method  as  pre- 
viously indicated  in  Reprint  No.  5),  and  afterwards  attach  the  ladders  and 
sliding  poles.  Pipe  F  is  in  2  pieces,  the  2  pieces  being  joined  in  the  cen- 
ter of  fitting  K.  The  wide  clamp  and  the  teeth  in  the  center,  with  the 
toothed  arms  at  the  side  make  this  possible. 

Fig.  L2  shows  a  ground  plan  of  this  frame  set  up.  Your  attention  is 
called  to  the  manner  of  placing  the  concrete  for  the  2  upside  uprights  of 
the  frame.  This  gives  the  frame  a  very  large  base  and  when  the  ladders 
and  sliding  poles  are  set  in  concrete,  it  is  absolutely  immovable. 

Special  attention  is  called  to  the  method  of  securing  the  bottoms  of 
the  climbing  poles  in  order  to  keep  them  from  swinging  around  and  hitting 
other  pieces  of  apparatus.  They  are  set  in  little  frames  of  concrete  (or 
wood  may  be  used).  This  should  be  large  enough  to  give  a  little  play 
both  ways  but  not  enough  to  allow  the  poles  to  leave  the  box. 

Apparatus.  The  construction  of  swings,  steel  incline  ladders  and 
sliding  poles  are  all  included  in  articles  under  those  headings. 

The  Steel  and  Wire  Cable  Ladder  is  made  as  follows : 
Pieces  of  galvanized  pipe  1"  x  "20"  are  cut  and  smoothed.  W  holes 
are  drilled  I"  in  from  the  end.  Then  fill  the  ends  of  the  pipe  with  paper 
and  run  through  the  holes  pieces  of  \"  steel  cable,  which  form  the  sides. 
Space  about  VI"  apart,  open  the  strands  of  the  wire  with  an  awl  inside  the 
ends  of  the  1"  pipe  and  insert  therein  a  wire  nail  or  a  screw.  Then  saturate 
the  inside  of  the  pipe,  wire  and  screw  with  soldering  acid  and  fill  up  the 
hole  with  a  mixture  of  1  part  solder  and  1  part  lead.  This  makes  the  most 
durable,  flexible  ladder  that  I  have  ever  seen. 

Special  fittings  for  attaching  to  the  ground  and  to  the  frame  are 
required. 

Trapeze.  The  best  home  made  trapeze  is  made  as  follows:  Secure 
a  very  smooth  piece  of  1"  galvanized  pipe,  28"  long,  thread  at  both  ends 
and  screw  on  galvanized  street  ells.  File  off  the  threads  on  the  outside, 
put  a  \"  flexible  steel  cable  through  the  fittings  and  through  the  pipe, 
leaving  the  ends  long  enough  to  give  sufficient  length  for  fastening  above. 
Fill  the  pipe  with  melted  lead  and  solder  combined,  after  having  saturated 
the  inside  and  the  cable  with  soldering  acid.  This  trapeze  should  be  at- 
tached to  the  frame  by  means  of  frictionless  joints  such  as  were  used  in 
the  swings/  Crosby  wire  rope  clips  should  be  used  to  hold  the  ends  of  the 
cable  secure. 

Climbing  Poles.  The  climbing  poles  are  made  of  selected  smooth 
pieces  of  \\"  galvanized  pipe,  threaded  at  the  top  and  attached  to  the  frame 


242 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYC RAFT 


by  a  special  casting.    These  climbing  poles  will  last  as  long  as  any  in  the 
market. 

Trick  Rings.  Trick  rings  should  be  made  of  malleable,  galvanized 
iron,  which  can  be  purchased.  Leather  and  rubber  covering  are  unneces- 
sary. The  best  material  for  attaching  these  to  the  frames  is  a  combination 
hemp  and  steel  tarred  flexible  cable,  which,  however,  is  very,  very  expensive, 
costing  4  or  5  times  as  much  as  f*  Manila  rope.  If  this  steel  cable  is  used, 
it  is  necessary  to  splice  a  loop  at  the  bottom  and  to  attach  at  the  top  to  the 
special  frame  fittings  by  means  of  splices  or  by  the  use  of  a  wire  rope  clip. 
At  the  bottom,  in  order  to  make  the  rings  adjustable  as  to  heighth,  a  leather 
straj)  about  \"  x  \\"  x  6'  with  a  heavy  harness  buckle  should  be  used  for 
each  ring.  These  straps  should  be  thoroughly  waterproofed  by  soaking 
in  a  solution  of  gasoline  and  rubber  and  other  materials,  which  patented 
waterproofing  fluid  is  on  the  market.  In  case  you  cannot  afford  the  expen- 
sive indestructible  rope,  use  f"  Manila  rope  tarred,  which  should  be  at- 
tached at  the  upper  end  by  means  of  rope  hook,  in  the  manner  specified 
under  swing  construction;  at  the  lower  end  another  hook  is  attached 
and  the  opening  pounded  together;  below  this  the  strap  spoken  of  before 
is  attached  connecting  with  the  ring. 


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DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  TEETER  LADDER 


Fig.  1  shows  plan  of  the  ladder. 
Fig.  2  shows  side  elevation. 
Fig. 


3  shows  detail  of  the  ladder  rung. 


These  dimensions  are  suitable  for  a  ladder  with  sides  made  up  of 
white  oak  or  white  ash,  and  rungs  of  oak,  ash  or  hickory.  New  England 
spruce  with  white  ash  rungs  make  a  very  light,  strong  ladder  and  if  this 
wood  for  the  sides  is  used,  the  sides  should  be  slightly  thicker.  Southern 
pine  may  also  be  used.  All  materials  should  be  kiln  dried,  rounded  and 
smoothed  on  the  edges  and  finished  with  3  coats  of  oil,  1  coat  of  shellac, 
1  coat  spar  varnish.  The  detail  of  attachment  to  the  frame  is  shown  in 
Reprint  No.  13. 


PLAYCRAFT 


243 


No.  12 

DIRECTIONS    FOR   MAKING    AND    ERECTING    SCHOOL   YARD    MERRY-GO-ROUND 
AND  GIANT  STRIDE  COMBINED,  WITH  FLIPPING  BOARD  ATTACHMENT 


rig.  6. 


SCHOOL    YARD    MERRY-GO-ROUND    AND    GIANT    STRIDE    COMBINED 

The  merrv-go-round  gives  a  maximum  development  of  pleasure  to 
the  greatest  number  of  children  per  square  foot  of  space  occupied  of  any 
piece  of  apparatus  which  has  ever  been  made.  The  cost,  however,  of  these 
has  made  them  almost  prohibitive  for  general  use.  All  of  the  machines 
of  which  we  know  have  the  projecting  arms,  which  serve  as  application  for 
motive  power,  not  high  enough  above  the  ground  to  prevent  them  from 
striking  the  children,  if  they  get  in  the  way.  The  style  indicated  here  over- 
comes both  of  these  objections,  as  it  can  be  made  by  the  advanced  manual 
training  class  at  a  cost  of  $40.00  to  $60.00  for  materials.  The  motive  power 
is  applied  by  means  of  ropes,  suspended  from  arms,  which  extend  out  from 
the  supporting  rods. 

Method  of  Construction.  Fig.  1  shows  elevation.  Fig.  4  shows 
ground  plan.  Fig.  2  shows  method  of  welding  f*  iron  arm  to  vertical  and 
incline  rods,  which  support  the  frame  work.  Fig.  5  shows  method  of  attach- 
ment of  1T"  steel  tubing,  which  must  be  used  for  the  arms  when  they  are 
to  be  used  for  giant  stride  purposes.  These  arms  are  held  by  a  piece  welded 
to  the  incline  rods  and  are  attached  by  nuts  placed  on  the  arm  on  both 
sides  of  the  vertical  rods. 

The  basis  of  construction  consists  of  a  tool  steel  giant  stride  head  on 
top  of  the  pipe  and  a  thrust  bearing,  using  ■/'  balls  towards  the  lower  end 
of  the  pipe.  ^(See  Fig.  1.)     The  wooden  frame  work  is  suspended  from 


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SCHOOL  YARD  MERRY-GO-ROUND 


PLAYCRAFT  245 

the  toj)  bearing  by  moans  of  six  £"  vertical  rods,  which  run  through  the  ends 
of  the  six  2"  x  4"  x  4'.S"  timbers,  which  form  the  basis  for  the  frame  work, 
and  which  are  fitted  into  slots  cut  in  the  casting;  J"  mils  threaded  on  the  rods 
at  the  top  of  the  timber,  and  similar  nuts  screwed  on  below  the  casting 
keep  the  center  from  going  down  or  up.  The  detail  of  this  attachment 
to  the  eye  of  the  giant  stride  is  illustrated  in  Fig.  .'5,  an  eye  being  welded  at 
the  top  of  the  vertical  rod.  Through  this  eye  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  ;5,  is  bent 
the  threaded  end  of  the  -f"  incline  rod,  which  holds  the  outer  part  of  the 
frame.  This  rod  runs  down  through  the  2"  x  4"  and  through  a  small  special 
casting  at  the  bottom,  where  it  is  held  in  place  by  a  nut. 

The  step  is  held  on  by  the  frame  work  illustrated  in  Fig.  1,  which  is 
made  by  2"  x  :5"s  bolted  at  every  end  by  two  V"  x  5"  carriage  bolts  with  nuts 
and  washers. 

The  step  itself  is  made  from  solid  pieces  of  lumber  IV'  x  12"  x  5' 
milled,  and  then  screwed  down  or  nailed  to  the  bottom  piece  of  timber. 
The  space  above  the  step  between  it  and  the  seat  should  be  sheathed  up, 
or  a  wire  screen  can  be  made  similar  to  the  back  rest  for  seat  which  will  be 
described  later. 

The  seat  is  made  of  1"  stock  and  is  nailed  to  the  tops  of  the  2x4  frame. 

The  back  rest  may  be  dispensed  with.  If  it  is  desired  to  make  it,  it 
should  be  done  as  follows: 

Bore  2  lines  of  \"  holes  2"  apart  through  the  seat  board  between  each 
of  the  incline  rods.  Sets  of  holes  should  be  4"  apart.  T  up  from  the  seat 
board,  attach  a  piece  of  No.  9  galvanized  steel  wire;  run  this  around  spirally 
about  6  times,  until  the  whole  space  from  the  board  1'  up  is  covered  with 
wires  about  2"  apart.  Each  of  these  wires,  where  they  cross  the  incline 
rods,  should  be  wired  to  them  by  means  of  short  pieces  of  No.  16  galvanized 
wire.  Care  should  be  taken,  when  wiring  these,  to  have  no  sharp  ends 
exposed  to  catch  the  children's  clothes.  After  these  wires  are  all  placed, 
take  No.  12  galvanized  wire,  push  up  through  the  hole  bored  through  the 
seat  and  interweave  alternately  with  a  horizontal  wire  to  the  top  wire,  around 
which  it  should  be  twisted  and  then  interwoven  and  twisted  down,  alter- 
nating on  the  other  side  of  each  horizontal  wTire  and  back  down  through 
the  other  hole,  where  the  two  ends  are  twisted  together.  These  cross  wires 
should  continue  on  around  filling  up  all  the  holes. 

This  back  rest  is  not,  however,  absolutely  necessary,  but  serves  as  a 
convenient  place  to  stow  babies  away  in.  If  the  screen  is  to  be  made,  it 
must  be  woven  on  before  boarding  up  the  space  between  the  step  and  the 
seat. 

The  Motive  Power  Attachment.  One  or  two  f"  iron  rods  with  an 
eye  at  the  "end,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  1,  should  have  a  \"  rope  attached  to  it, 
to  hang  down  for  the  children  to  take  hold  of.  Running  from  the  eve  of 
this  rod  to  the  top  of  the  attachment  of  the  .vertical  and  incline  rod  at  the 
giant  stride  eye,  should  be  twisted  a  No.  9  galvanized  steel  wire,  which  will 
keep  the  rod  from  bending  down.    In  order  to  keep  it  from  twisting  side- 


246  PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 

ways,  a  No.  9  wire  should  be  attached  to  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  arm 
and  the  incline  rod  and  then  be  twisted  around  each  of  the  other  incline 
rods  and  finally  re-attached  to  the  first  point  of  attachment.  Then  attach 
a  No.  9  wire  to  the  eye  of  the  arm,  and  run  it  from  this  eye  horizontally 
to  each  of  the  incline  rods  immediately  adjoining.  If  this  does  not  prove 
sufficient  bracing  wires  may  be  crossed  in  addition.  These  wires  are  not 
shown  in  drawing. 

Giant  Stride  Attachment.  In  case  it  is  wished  to  use  these  arms 
for  giant  stride  purposes,  use  instead  of  the  §"  iron  rod,  pieces  of  \"  x  1^" 
steel  tubing,  which  will  be  attached  as  shown  in  Fig.  5.  The  end,  where 
attached  to  the  vertical  rod,  should  have  a  \"  pipe  thread  cut  on  it  and  a  1" 
lock  nut  attached  on  either  side  of  the  vertical  rod.  A  \"  thread  should  be 
cut  on  the  other  end  and  a  1"  malleable  cap  screwed  on.  This  cap  should 
be  made  as  follows:  Drill  \"  hole  through  the  center,  make  an  eye  bolt  out 
of  \"  iron  with  an  eye  1"  in  diameter  and  with  a  shank  about  \\"  long,  with 
a  \"  thread  cut  the  entire  length  of  it.  Put  a  \"  nut  as  far  on  the  shank  as 
possible,  insert  the  shank  in  the  hole  drilled  in  the  \"  cap  and  then  put  the 
other  nut  on.  (Note — When  making  the  eye  bolt  make  a  dent  on  one  side 
sufficiently  deep  to  admit  the  point  of  a  rope  hook.) 

For  a  hanger  to  attach  in  this  eye,  insert  \"  rope  into  rope  hook  and 
cut  off  pieces  of  rope  long  enough  to  leave  room  for  a  knot  about  3'  or  4' 
above  the  ground.  There  should  not  be  more  than  3  of  these  giant  stride 
hangers  upon  the  machine.  They  should  be  wired  on  as  indicated  for  the 
iron  arm  and  in  addition  a  No.  9  wire  should  be  twisted  into  each  eve  con- 
necting  the  3  ends  directly. 

FLIPPING  MERRY-GO-ROUND 

The  most  valuable  use  for  a  merry-go-round  is  for  the  children  to 
jump  on  and  off  while  it  is  in  motion.  ("Flipping,"  they  call  it.)  This 
prevents  them  from  becoming  dizzy  and  gives  them  more  exercise.  In 
order  to  make  this  piece  into  a  flipping  merry-go-round  saw  off  the  foot 
board  or  never  put  it  on. 

SPECIFICATIONS 

The  specifications  will  be  seen  on  the  cut. 

Estimate. 

Top  bearing  of  tool  steel,  $20 .  00 

Bottom  bearing  with  \"  steel  balls,  15 .  00 

Special  castings  for  bottom  of  incline  rods,  2 .  00 

Nos.  9,  16  and  12  gal.  wire. 

One  piece  concrete  5'  x  22"  square,  5  to  1  mixture  of  Portland 
cement. 


PLAYCRAFT 


247 


No.  13 

DIRECTIONS    FOR    MAKING    AND    ERECTING    COMBINATION    TEETER    LADDER 
AND  SLIDE  FRAME,  ADJUSTMENT  ATTACHMENT  FOR  BOTTOM  OF  "SLIDE 

FOR  LIFE"  CABLE 


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specifications  for  frames 

Pipe  Required. 

1  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  19',  with  or  without  threads. 
1  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  20'  6",  thread  2  ends. 

1  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  5',  thread  2  ends. 

2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  12',  with  or  without  threads. 
1  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  7'7",  with  or  without  threads. 


Pipe  for  Teeter  Ladder  Attachments. 

8  pieces  blk.  or  gal.  pipe  \\"  x  4',  thread  2  ends.  11-16"  holes  to 
be  drilled  throughout  the  whole  length  each  6"  apart  center  to 
center. 


248  playground  technique  and  playcraft 

Fittings  Required. 
2  Universal  Tees. 
2  Universal  Ells. 

1  XT1. 

2  3"  caps. 

1  3"  coupling. 

Erect  as  directed  in  Reprint  No.  5. 

Ron  for  Attaching  Teeter  Ladder  to  Frames.  Take  a  piece 
of  |"  round  iron  rod  about  28"  long  and  bend  as  shown  in  Fig.  5.  Cut  a 
thread  on  the  other  end.  The  plate  shown  in  Fig.  6.  which  is  made  of  a 
piece  of  3-1  6"  steel,  is  screwed  to  the  side  of  teeter  ladder  (shown  in  Re- 
print No.  11).  The  rod  B  is  inserted  through  this  hole  in  Fig.  6,  through 
the  holes  in  the  upright  pipe  (K)  and  through  the  sides  of  the  teeter  ladder 
(A)  and  then  the  nuts  screwed  on  as  shown  in  Fig.  4. 


SLIDE  FOR  LIFE  ADJUSTMENT 

The  "Slide  for  Life"  described  and  illustrated  in  Reprint  No.  14  is 
attached  in  the  following  manner  to  the  teeter  ladder  frame.  The  cable  (G) 
runs  through  the  casting  D,  which  runs  down  to  the  dead  man,  shown  in 
Fig.  7.  This  dead  man  has  a  hole  drilled  through  it,  for  a  f"  x  20"  eye  bolt. 
The  dead  man  is  set  in  concrete.  Cable  G  runs  through  this  eye  bolt  and 
is  tightened  by  means  of  a  one  ton  chain  hoist  and  then  kept  in  place  by 
4  or  5  Crosby  wire  rope  clips  (F) .  It  is  then  further  tightened  by  means 
of  the  lock  nuts  shown  in  Fig.  7. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  ALL  SEASONS  SLIDE 

In  the  main  this  slide  is  made  like  that  described  under  Reprint  No.  9, 
with  the  exception,  however,  that  it  is  considerably  higher  and  is  made  to 
stand  up  alone.  It  can  be  made  like  the  Back  Yard  Slide  or  put  on  top 
of  the  frame  in  the  same  way  that  the  ladders  are  placed  in  Reprint  No.  14, 
in  which  case  the  side  of  the  steps  will  be  attached  to  the  top  pipe  in  the 
same  manner  as  directed  for  the  attachment  of  teeter  boards  to  frame 
(see  Reprint  No.  8)  with  the  exception  that  smaller  bolts  will  be  used  and 
twice  the  number  of  castings  will  be  required. 

The  sides  of  the  slide  (E)  require  pieces  of  kiln  dried  spruce  or  Southern 
pine,  2"  x  4"  x  16'.  The  sides  (G)  require  pieces  of  kiln  dried  spruce  or 
Southern  pine  2"  x  4"  x  10'. 


PLAYCRAFT 


249 


rrhe  steel  is  attached  to  the  slide  at  both  top  and  bottom  in  a  manner 
similar  to  that  directed  for  the  attachment  of  the  top  and  of  the  steel  under 
Reprint  Xo.  9.    2  pieces  of  steel  8'  long  will  be  required. 

The  guard  rail  (B)  may  need  another  attachment  in  the  shape  of  a 

vertical    rod    to   run   from   its  center   to   the  side  of  the   slide.      The  whole 
guard  rail  should  he  made  of  I"  iron,  as  directed  under  Reprint  No.  !>. 

The  upright  (F)  in  Fig.  1  requires  a  piece  of  kiln  dried  spruce  or  South- 
ern pine  2"  \  4"  x  4'  2".  The  bottom  piece  (II  requires  a  piece  of  kiln  dried 
spruce  or  Southern  pine  2"  x  4"  \  8'.  The  bottom  piece  (J)  is  made  of  a 
piece  of  oak  or  rock  maple  3"  x  (>"  x  0'.     Sides  F  and  J  are  braced  l>v  means 


A//  5  easons    P  /  ay  a  ro  u~n  c(    5/t  d'e- 


r . 


f   ' 


A.  V  LHL  */«i  «r 

f/ay a  round  A  rcAif%cfx. 


Fig.   1 


of  \"  iron  rods  (M)  which  are  welded  into  eye  bolts,  which  screw  into  the 
respective  timbers.  Sides  H  and  J  are  braced  in  the  same  manner.  Care 
must  be  taken  to  put  the  eyes  into  the  timbers  so  that  when  bolts  (C)  and 
bolt  (I)  are  removed,  pieces  H  and  F  can  be  made  to  change  places  so  that 
the  slide  will  assume  the  position  shown  in  Fig.  -2.  which  is  for  winter  use. 
It  is  necessary  to  put  boards  over  the  top  of  the  steps  with  cleats  on  top 
and  with  cleats  on  the  bottom,  which  engage  the  steps  and  when  2  or  3 
bolts  are  run  through  into  a  piece  loosely  placed  on  the  under  side,  tin-  slide 
is  in  shape  for  winter  use. 


250 


PLAYGROUND    TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


The  frame  shown  in  Fig.  1  (S),  which  holds  the  slide  up  from  the 
ground  should  have  pieces  connecting  the  bottoms  of  the  incline  pieces 
which  form  the  sides  to  keep  it  from  spreading  apart. 

(These  are  not  shown  in  the  drawing.) 

We  have  never  made  up  one  of  these  but  think  that  it  offers  good 
opportunity  for  some  manual  training  boy  to  test  his  ingenuity. 


A//  Seasons    r°/ayo  re  tin  </  S/ide, 


Fig.  2 


PLAYCRAFT 


251 


No.  14 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  AND   ERECTING   "SLIDE  FOR  LIFE" 

TWO  STYLES 

"Slide  for  Life."  This  is  a  piece  of  apparatus  which  we  designed 
in  Denver  and  found  to  be  the  most  valuable  of  anything  on  the  playground, 
far  exceeding  in  usefulness  a  gymnasium  frame  and  equipment  costing 
upwards  of  $1,000.00  to  install.  The  "Slide  for  Life"  consists  of  an  incline 
steel  cable  about  200'  long,  having  an  attachment  at  one  end  to  the  Combi- 
nation Swing  and  Gvmnasium  Frame  directlv  over  the  Incline  Ladder. 
The  other  end  of  the  cable  is  attached  to  the  Combination  Teeter  Ladder 
and  Slide  Frame,  with  suitable  appurtenances  for  keeping  the  cable  taut. 
This  cable  serves  as  a  runway  for  traveling  apparatus,  which  consists  of 
a  ball  bearing  wheel,  having  a  galvanized  malleable  iron  ring  suspended 
therefrom. 


a  r  > 


'^       ,'/nW    W" 


1  i.  • 

"J? 


Combination  Gymnasium  and  Swings.  Combination  Teeter  Ladder  and  Slides 

SLIDE    FOR   LIFE 


The  children  climb  the  Incline  Ladder,  take  hold  of  this  ring,  and 
"slide  for  life."    This  piece  of  apparatus  is  very  popular. 

In  Denver,  we  used  this  only  one  hour  per  day  and  the  children  would 
assemble  at  the  grounds  for  an  hour  before  the  time  for  the  slide  to  be  opened 
and  stand  in  line  waiting  for  their  turn.    We  used  this  piece  of  apparatus 


,)  so 


PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


during  the  latter  part  of  our  stay  in  Denver,  I  think,  for  a  period  of  about 
two  months,  without  a  single  accident.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  run, 
the  cable  is  so  near  the  ground  thai  the  children  can  drop  off  at  any  time 
without  injury  to  themselves. 


SL/DE 
FOR  L/FE 


A .%  L.  H.   L.  e/a  n  d 
P/ayqroxind 


SLIDE    FOR    LIFE— TWO   STYLES,  FIGURES    1,  2,  3    AND    4 


Directions  for  Making.  Figs.  1  and  L2  show  method  of  making  up 
the  traveling  carriage  using  a  ready  made  ball  bearing  wheel,  and  special 
castings.  These  parts  can  all  be  purchased.  Figs.  3  and  4  illustrate  method 
of  making  a  smaller  wheel  using  entirely  home-made  materials  with  the 
exception  of  the  ball  bearing,  which  will  cost  about  25c,  this  includes  bolt 
and  nut.  Get  a  solid,  perfectly  round  rope  eye  about  2J"  in  diameter  for 
|"  rope  (B).  Make  a  little  box  about  4"  deep  and  put  in  moulding  sand, 
which  can  be  obtained  from  any  foundry.  Then  lay  the  eye  (B)  in  this 
sand  and  set  the  bearing  (A)  down  in  the  center  of  it,  so  that  it  will  be  ex- 


PLAYCRAFT  253 

actly  in  the  center  of  the  eye;  then  whittle  out  a  piece  of  wood  to  cover  up 
the  balls  shown  in  Fig.  4  and  after  covering  the  inside  of  everything  will) 
soldering  acid  pour  melted  lead  in  until  the  bearing  and  I  lie  eye  are  firmly 
soldered  together.  Then  fake  a  piece  of  \"  x  1"  wrought  iron  or  mild 
steel  (H),  bore  holes  for  the  bolts  (D)  and  (I),  and  then  bend  in  the  shape 
shown  in  Fig.  3.  Take  a  piece  of  round  iron  ,!"  in  diameter  (J)  and  bend 
it  into  a  circle,  welding  the  ends  together.  The  circle  should  be  about  .>" 
or  6"  in  diameter.  Then  weld  an  eye  around  this  ring  and  boll  up  into  the 
inside  of  and  through  H.  Then  insert  the  bolt  (D)  with  all  the  attachments 
which  come  with  it.  attach  the  Slide  to  the  cable  and  take  a  ride. 

The  Cable.  We  have  always  used  \"  galvanized  steel  cable  such  as 
is  used  on  hay  carriers  and  for  smoke  stack  guys.  The  upper  end  of  llii> 
cable  runs  over  fitting  (K)  shown  in  Fig.  1  Combination  Swings  and  Gym- 
nasium (Reprint  Xo.  11).  From  this  point  it  runs  down,  after  being  wound 
around  the  pipe  two  or  three  times  to  fitting  (I)  where  it  is  wound  around 
again  and  attached  to  itself  by  means  of  several  wire  rope  clips. 

The  attachment  at  the  other  end  is  shown  and  described  in  Reprint 
No.  13. 


-2.U 


PLAYGROUND  TECHNIQUE  AND  PLAYCRAFT 


Aft. 


Fig    i 


Fie. 2. 


=0= 


a 


u 


Fig.  3 


PLANS    FOR   THREE    STORY    PLAYGROUND 
Scale  tY'  to  1' 


PLAYCRAFT  255 


No.  15 

DIRECTIONS     FOE      MAKING     AND      ERECTING      THREE     STORY      PLAYGROUND 

EQUIPMENT 

Space  in  the  air  is  cheaper  than  space  on  the  ground.  We  have  designed 
an  equipment,  which  permits  of  three  sets  of  children  playing  above  each 
<»lher  without  going  to  the  expense  of  building  gigantic  glass  buildings. 
Fig.  1  illustrates  the  method.  Six  8'  swings  and  two  playground  slides 
occupy  the  lower  story.  Above  this  is  a  board  platform  (P)  with  a  guard 
rail  (GR).  The  children  climb  up  the  ladder  to  the  slide,  run  across  the 
platform,  and  either  ascend  the  vertical  ladder  (VL)  to  the  third  story. 
or  take  a  ride  on  "The  Slide  for  Life"  (SFL)  as  shown  in  Fig.  L2.  Another 
set  of  larger  children  can  climb  up  the  incline  ladder  and  run  across  the 
platform  on  the  third  story  and  slide  down  the  sliding  poles.  Underneath 
this  platform  on  the  third  story,  is  placed  a  steel  horizontal  ladder  IIL. 
which  is  reached  from  the  second  story. 

This  equipment  enables  about  ninety  children  to  exercise  on  space  very 
little  larger  than  that  occupied  by  an  ordinary  set  of  6  swings. 

We  have  never  made  one  of  these,  but  cannot  see  why  the  idea  is  not 
entirely  practicable. 

If  any  purchaser  of  this  book  wishes  to  make  up  one  of  these  and  test 
it.  we  will  be  glad  to  take  the  matter  up  with  them  and  furnish  specifications, 
etc. 

The  materials  for  the  construction  of  this  frame  would  cost  between 
$100.00  and  $200.00. 


'2.50 


PLAYGROUND    TKC'HNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


No.    16 

directions  for  making  and  erecting  combination  swing  and  baby 

swing  frame  and  baby  swing 

specifications 

Pipe  and  Fittings  Required. 

2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  12',  with  or  without  threads. 
2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  12',  thread  1  end. 

1  piece  blk.  pipe  3"  x  12',  thread  2  ends. 

2  pieces  blk.  pipe  3"  x  10',  with  or  without  threads. 
2  Universal  Tees. 

4  Universal  Ells. 
4  3"  caps. 


c* 


T 

v 


« 


n 


to 


«■«     2 


S*= 


FIGURES    1,  2,  3    AND    4— COMBINATION    SWING    AND    BABY    SWING    FRAME 


Erection  of  the  Frame.  See  Reprint  No.  5  for  Directions  for  Erect- 
ing Frames.  Concrete  and  time  required,  the  same.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
brace  this  frame. 


PLAYCKAFT 


257 


SAFE   SWINGS    FOR   THE    BABIES 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING   BABY  SWING 

We  designed  a  soft  bottom  swing  in  order  to  keep  the  small  children 
away  from  the  swings  of  the  big  boys  and  girls,  where  they  were  continually 
getting  their  heads  cut  open. 


F,j3. 


2±" 


r.jM. 


.*?. 


'■      Ffa.S 


■«*' 


5" 


BABy 

5  \f///VG 


A.  %,    L.    H.  L  c  fa  r,  d 

*f*f  u  y  9  r  o    u  r>    ^  A    r  C    A  /  (  e    C  f } 


ayf. 


F;j.6. 


258 


l'l.AYCUoiM)   TKCHNIQUB    AND    PLAYCRAPT 


rrhe  materials  required  for  each  swing  arc: — 

1  piece  first  quality  oak  tanned  leather  3"  x  L2.3V',  which  forms  the  hack 
of  the  swing.    (Fig.  4.  Fig.  (>.) 

1  piece  first  quality  oak  tanned  leather  5"  x  21. j",  which  forms  the  seat 
of  the  swing.    ( Fig. 3,  Fig.  (>.  I 

4  pieces  hlk.  or  russet  harness  leather  2"  x  S',".  which  forms  the  straps, 
through  which  the  rope  runs.    (Fig.  .),  Fig.  6.) 

2  pieces  \"  three  strand  Manila  rope,  run  through  the  loops  and  spliced 
as  shown  in  Fig.  (i.  (Directions  for  splicing  arc  shown  under  Reprint  Xo. 
6.)     (Figs.  1,  2  and  3.) 

Exact 


5/ze 


FIGURE    7— PATTERN    FOB    WEDGE   SCREW 

Upper  ends  of  rope  are  run  into  \"  *rope  hooks,  which  cost  about  15c 
apiece;  rope  is  secured  in  them  by  means  of  wedge  screws  of  the  shape 
and  size  shown  in  Fig.  7,  which  is  a  pattern  to  be  used  in  making  the 
wedge  screw  as  per  directions  under  Reprint  No.  6.  (Figs.  1  and  2.) 
\"  x  \\"  lag  screws  are  used  for  making  up  wedge  screw  for  \"  rope.  The 
leather  should  be  thoroughly  waterproofed  and  cut  according  to  drawings. 
The  bottom  and  back  of  the  swings  are  held  in  place  by  No.  7  x  \"  copper 
rivets  and  burrs.  The  straps  are  attached  to  the  back  and  bottom  by  Xo. 
7  x  f"  copper  rivets  and  burrs.  The  straps  are  attached  to  the  back 
alone  by  Xo.  7  x  \"  copper  rivets.    See  Reprint  Xo.  0  for  center  swings. 


This  swing  has  been  in  use  in  St.  Paul  for  six  years. 


DIRECTIONS   FOR   MAKING    INCLINE    LADDER  OF   WOOD 

Wooden  ladders  are  very  much  cheaper  than  steel  and  it  may  some- 
times be  advisable  to  use  them.  Fig.  1  shows  side  view  of  the  ladder; 
Fig.  2,  general  plan;  Fig.  3,  section  of  the  side  and  section  of  the  rung; 
while  Fig.  4  shows  the  method  of  attachment  to  the  frame. 

Materials.  Spruce  or  Southern  pine  have  usually  been  used  for 
this    purpose.     It    should    be    kiln    dried.     The   rungs   should    be   made 


*Great  care  is  required  in  using  this  style  of  rope  hook.      Another  style  which  permits  the  rope 
to  he  spliced  around  it  is  often  used. 


l'LAYCUAl  T 


259 


of  white  oak  or  hickory.    Gal.  iron  pipe  is  sometimes  also  used  for  lln- 


rungs. 


The  sides  of  the  ladder  are  attached  to  the  frame  by  menus  of  |"  iron. 
which  is  bent  around  the  pipe  and  screwed  into  the  sides  of  I  he  ladders  as 
shown  in  Fijj.  4.      Iron  extends  in  from  end  of  ladder  S". 


n 


'J  ' 


10 


^..  -II 


FlQ    2. 


PLAN    OF    WOOD    LADDER 


A   WORKING  BIBLIOGRAPHY* 

In  the  Philosophy  and  Technique  of  Play  and  Playgrounds 

CONTENTS  PART  ONE 

Studies  in  Growth— Plav  and  Its  Meaning— The  Place  of  Play  in  Education— Hygienic  and 
Social  Value  of  Playgrounds— Nature  Study  Constructive  Play— Horticulture  and  Landscape  Art 
Applicable  to  Playground  and  School  Beautification,  (Horticultural  Methods),  (Landscape  Garden- 
in-'  and  Playground  Construction),  (Playground  Equipment)— Housekeeping  and  Home  Economics, 
i  Nutrition  and  Diet),  (Hygiene  of  the  Home),  (Accidents  and  Sickness)— Hygienic  Organizations 
and  Publications  Devoting  Special  Attention  to  the  Subjects  of  Civics  and  Health— farmers 
Bulletins,  (Landscape  Gardening,  Forestry  and  School  Gardening),  (Housekeeping). 

{Continued  in  Vol.  II) 

STUDIES    IN    GROWTH 

BEYER,  H.  G.  The  Influence  of  Exercise  on  Growth.  Am.  Ph.  Ed.  Rev.,  Vol.  1, 
Nos.'  1-2,  pp.  76-87  (1896).  Also  The  Journal  of  Experimental  Medicine, 
Vol.  1,  No.  3  (1896)  (reprinted). 

BEYER,  H.  G.  The  Value  to  Physiology  of  Anthropometric  Tests  and  Measur- 
ments  in  the  Form  of  Statistics,  and  Their  Importance  to  Education.  Am.  Ph. 
Ed.  Rev.,  Vol.  VI,  No.  2,  pp.  181-894  (1901).  Also  Journal  of  the  Boston 
Society  of  Medical  Sciences,  May,  1901  (reprinted). 

BIRNEY,  MRS.  T.  W.    Childhood.    12  mo.  cloth.    F.  A.  Stokes  Co.,  N.  Y. 

BOWDITCH,  H.  P.  The  Growth  of  Children.  Report  of  State  Board  of  Health 
(1891),  Boston,  Mass.  (reprinted). 

BOWDITCH,  HENRY  P.  The  Growth  of  Children.  Reprinted  from  the  American 
Statistical  Association  (1894).     Excellent.    Contains  Bowditch's  Law. 

BRYAN  E  B  Nascent  Stages  and  Their  Pedagogical  Significance.  Pedagogical 
Seminary  (Oct.,  1900),  VII,  357-396. 

BURK,  FREDERIC.  From  Fundamental  to  Accessory  in  the  Development  of  The 
Nervous  System  and  of  Movements.  Pedagogical  Seminary  (Oct.,  1898),  VI, 
5-64  (reprinted). 

BURKE  FREDERIC.  Growth  of  Children  in  Height  and  Weight.  American 
Journal  of  Psychology,  Vol.  LX,  No.  3,  April,  1898.  Best  general  survey  of 
subject  of  growth  in  height  and  weight. 

BURNHAM,  W.  H.  Education  from  the  Genetic  Point  of  View.  Proceedings  of 
the  National  Education  Association  (1905),  pp.  727-732. 

BURNHAM,  W.  H.  Hygiene  of  the  Kindergarten  Child.  Proceedings  of  the 
National  Education  Association  (1904),  pp.  416-422. 

BURNHAM,  W.  H.  Suggestions  from  the  Psychology  of  Adolescence.  School 
Review  (1897),  V,  652-665. 

CHAMBERLAIN,  A.  F.  The  Child.  W.  Scott,  London  (1903),  498  pages.  (See 
Chapter  IV,  especially). 

CHRISTOPHER,  W.  S.  Three  Crises  in  Child  Life.  Child  Study  Monthly  (1897), 
III,  324-335. 

*Revised  and  elaborated  from  "The  Organization  of  a  System  of  Public  Playgrounds  and  Bib- 
lioeranhvof  the  Playground  Movement,"  Arthur  Leland,  Association  Seminar,  1903.  (We  acknowl- 
edge the  assistance  "of  "Bibliography  of  Physical  Education"  by  Dr.  Hastings  and  Miss  Stedman, 
and  "Bibliography  in  Education  by  Plays  and  Games"  by  Dr.  Johnson.) 

260 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  261 


CHRISTOPHER,  W.  S.     Measurements  of  Chicago  School  Children.     Journal 
the  American  Medical  Association  (Sept.  8  and  15,  1900).    Excellent,  especial 


of 

specially 
along  the  line  of  psycho-physical  measurements. 

CLOUSTON,  T.   S.     The  Neuroses  of  Development.     Simpkins,  London  (1891), 
138  pages. 

ENGELMANN,  G.  J.  The  American  Girl  of  To-day.  Am.  Ph.  Ed.  Rev.,  Vol.  VI, 
No.  1,  pp.  28-65,  with  bibliography. 

FITZ,  GEO.  Play  as  a  Factor  in  Development.  American  Physical  Education 
Review  (June,  1897). 

GUILLET,  CEPHAS.  Recapitulation  and  Education.  Pedagogical  Seminary 
(Oct.,  1900),  VII,  397-445. 

GULICK,  L.  H.  Some  Psychical  Aspects  of  Muscular  Exercise.  Popular  Science 
Monthly  (1898),  LIII,  793-805. 

HALL,G.  S.    Adolescence.    D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  N.  Y.  (1904),  2  Vols. 

HUTCHINSON,  WOODS.  The  Growth  of  the  Child  Mind.  Educational  Times 
(1899),  LII,  219-220. 

HAWKINS,  CECIL.  The  Physical  Examination  and  Development  of  Public  School 
Boys.    A  paper  read  before  the  Association  on  April  4,  1899.     With  Chart. 

HARTWELL,   E.   M.     Physical  Training.    Its  Function  and  Place  in  Education- 

American  Physical  Education  Review  (1897),  II,  133-151. 

HASTINGS,  WM.  W.,  Ph.D.  Health  and  Growth  of  School  Children.  Proceed- 
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For  Further  References  see  Reprint  No.  63.     List  of  Publications  of  the  Playground 

Association  of  America.     New  York. 

Bibliography  of  Committee  on  Normal  Course  of  Play  of  the  Playground  Association 

of  America,  1909.  pp.   L58    160. 

Bibliography  of  Social  Settlements.      Mrs.  Prank  H.  Montgomery,  5548  Wbodlawn 

Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

ALSO  PUBLICATIONS  OF: 

The  American  Civic  Association,   Philadelphia,  Pa. 

The  League  for  Social  Service,  New  York,  N.   Y. 

The  Massachusetts  Civic  League,  Boston,  Mass. 
The  Chautauquan. 

Hygiene  anil  Physical  Education,  Springfield,  Mass. 
American  Journal  of  Sociology,  Chicago. 
American  Physical  Ldiicatii.n  Association. 

U.  S.  Government,  Sociology  Price  List  No.  26.  Superintendent  of  Public  Docu- 
ments. 

REPORTS: 

South  Park  Commissioners;  Special  Park  Commissioners,  in  Chicago:  Louisville, 
Recreation   League;     Los  Angeles.  Playground   Commission:    Boston,  Park   Board! 

Mass.  Civic  League  -School  Hoard;  Rochester,  Playground  Association;  Pittsburg, 
Joint  Committee  Playgrounds;  Washington,  Playground  Association;  Philadelphia! 
School  Board;  Buffalo.  Hoard  of  Health:  St.  Paul.  Playground  Committee.  Park 
Hoard;    St.   Louis,   Civic    League,   Park  Commissioner. 


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ton  Institute  publications,  Hampton.  Va.;  How  p.  Make  School  Gardens  —  F.  I1. 
Hemenway;  children's  Gardens  Louise  Klein  Miller:  Agriculture  Through  the 
Laboratory  and  School  Garden  Dougherty  and  .lack-on;  Agriculture  for  Be- 
ginner- Burket  and  Stevens;  Agriculture  Soule  and  Turpin;  Nature  Study  and 
Life  Hodge;  Nature  Study  Holtz;  Reports  of  Horticultural  Society,  Springfield, 
Mass.,  and  Files  Springfield  Republican ;  Reports  of  American  Nature  Studj 
American  Ns  -    idy  Review      -      etary-treasurer.  Prof.  M.  A.  Bigelow, 

reachers  College.  Columbia  University,  New  York  City;    Reports  of  School  Farm 
1  eague,  Mrs.  Henry  M.  Parsons,  N.  V. 


*From  Book  List  of  Milton  Bradley  Co. 


268  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

CONSTRUCTIVE    PLAY 

ADAMS,  J.   H.     Harper's  Outdoor  Book  for  Boys.     Harper's,  N.  Y.     (1908.) 

ADAMS.  J.   H.    Harper's  Electricity  Book  for  Boys.    Harper's,  N.  Y.    (1908.) 

ADAMS,  J.   H.     Harper's  Indoor  Book  for  Boys.     Harper's,  N.  Y.     (1908.) 

BATES,  FRANK  A.     Camping  and  Camp  Cooking.     The  Ball  Pub.  Co. 

♦BALDWIN,  W.  A.     Industrial-Social  Education.     147  pages. 

BEARD,   D.   C.      American   Boy's   Handybook.      Chas.    Scribner's   Sons.      (1901.) 
441  pages. 

BEARD,  D.  C.     The  Outdoor  Handybook.     Chas.   Scribner's  Sons.     (1900.)  496 
pages. 

BEARD,  D.  C.     The  Jack  of  All  Trades.     Chas.  Scribner's  Sons.     (1900.)     291 
pages. 

BEARD,  LINA  and  A.   B.     The  American  Girl's  Handybook.     Chas.  Scribner's 
Sons.     (1898.) 

♦BECK  WITH,  M.   H.     Story  Telling  With  the  Scissors. 

BOND.  A.   RUSSELL.    The  Scientific  American  Boy.    Munn  &  Co.,  N.  Y.    (1906). 
317  pages. 

CASSEL.     Book  of  Sports  and  Pastimes.    Cassel,  N.  Y.     (1881.) 

CHAMPLIN,  J.   D.  and  BOSTWICK,  A.   E.  Young  Folks'  Cyclopedia  of  Games 
and  Sports.     H.  Holt  &  Co.,  N.  Y.     (1899.) 

♦CRAWSHAW,  F.   D.    Problems  in  Furniture  Making. 

DOPP,  K.  E.     The   Place    of   Industries   in   Elementary   Education.      University 
Press,  Chicago.     (1903.)     208  pages. 

♦HINCKLEY,  F.  A.     Woodwork  in  the  Common  School.     124  pages. 

HOPKINS,  G.   M.     Experimental  Science.     Munn  &  Co.,  N.  Y. 

HOPKINS,  G.   M.     Amateur  Mechanics.     370  pages.     320  Illustrations. 

*HOXIE,  J.   L.     Hand  Work  for  Kindergartens  and  Primary  Schools.     156  pages. 

♦JAMES,  GEO.  WHARTON.    Indian  Basketry,  and  How  to  make  Baskets.    (1903.) 

*KILBON,  G.   B.     Knife  Work  in  the  School  Room.     192  pages. 

*KNAPP,  E.   S.    Raphia  and  Reed  Weaving.     132  pages. 

LEATH,  A.  B.     Work  and  Play.     Playground,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  3.     (June  1909.) 

♦MORAN,  M.  L.    Manual  Art  with  the  Scissors. 

POULSSON,  A.   E.     Finger  Plays.     Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co.,  Boston.    (1893.) 

THOMPSON,  E.  S.    The  Birch  Bark  Roll.    Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.,  N.  Y.    (1906). 
66  pages. 

♦TRYBOM,  J.   H.     Cardboard  Construction.     69  pages. 

♦WEAVER,  E.  A.     Paper  and  Scissors  in  the  School  Room.     78  pages. 

WHEELER,  C.  G.     Woodworking  for  Beginners.    Milton  Bradley  Co. 


♦From  Book  List  of  Milton  Bradley  Co. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


^<i!) 


WHITE,  MARY.     How  to  Make  Baskets.     Milton  Bradley  Co. 

SEE  FILES  OF:  ,    _     .   . 

The  Craftsman  Syracuse,  N.  Y.;  Handicraft.  Boston.  Mass.;  Manual  I  raining 
Magazine,  Chicago," 111.;  The  American  Boy ;  The  Scientific  American ;  Amateur  Work. 
Boston. 

HORTICULTURE    AND    LANDSCAPE    ART    APPLICABLE    TO    PLAYGROUND 

AND    SCHOOL    BEAUTIFICATION 

Horticultural  Methods 
BURKETT,  \V.  Soils.  Orange  Judd  Co.,  Chicago. 
♦BAILEY,  PROF.   L.   H.     Plant  Breeding. 

The  philosophy  of  crossing,  variation  and  improvement  of  plants. 

♦BAILEY,  PROF.     Complete  Guide  to  the  Multiplication  of  Plants.     (The  Nursery 

Book.) 

Full  directions  from  seed,  layers,  cuttings,  graftings,  bulbs,  etc. 

♦BAILEY,  PROF.   L.   H.     The  Horticulturists'  Rule  Book. 

Full  of  useful  information  for  fruit  growers,   truck  gardeners,  florists  and   others. 

♦BAILEY  L  H.  Professor  of  Horticulture,  Cornell  University,  assisted  by  ex- 
pert cultivators  and  botanists.  Edited  by.  Cyclopedia  of  American  Horti- 
culture. 

A  monumental  and  up-to-date  work,  distinctively  American,  comprising  directions 
for  the  cultivation  of  horticultural  crops,  original  descriptions  of  the  species  ot 
fruits,  vegetables,  flowers  and  ornamental  plants.     In  four  volumes. 

♦DANA,  MRS.     How  to  Know  Wild  Flowers. 

A  guide  to  haunts  and  habits;  their  identification  easy  for  amateurs.  Fully  illus- 
trated. 

♦GRAY,  DR.  ASA.    School  and  Field  Botany. 

♦GRAY,  DR.  ASA,  Botany,  Field,  Forest  and  Garden.  Revised  by  Prof.  L.  H. 
Bailey. 

A  simple  guide  for  gardeners  and  amateurs  to  study  structures  and  names  of  com- 
moner plants  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

♦HEMENWAY.   H.   D.     How  to  Make  School  Gardens. 

A  manual  for  both  teachers  and  pupils. 

♦DUNCAN,   FRANCES.     Mary's  Garden  and  How  it  Grew. 

A  charming  treatise  on  flower  and  window  gardening  for  young  people,  told  in  the 
form  of  an  interesting  story.     The  directions  are  technically  sound. 

♦KEELER,   HARRIET  L.     Our  Northern  Shrubs  and  How  to  Identify  Them. 

A  handbook  describing  all  shrubs  from  the  Altantic  to.  the  Mississippi  and  their 
decorative  application.     205  photographic  illustrations. 

♦KEELER,  HARRIET   L.     Our  Native  Trees  and  How  to  Identify  Them. 

3.50  illustrations,  technically  accurate,  with  descriptions  of  the  forest  trees  of  North- 
eastern America  for  popular  identification,  etc. 

See  Farmers'  Bulletins  and   Publications  of   the    Department   of   Forestry,  Gifford 
Pinchot,  Forester. 
See  also  Bibliography  in  Normal  Course  of  Play,  pp.  216,  217. 

Landscape  Gardening  and  Playground  Construction 

♦WAUGH,   F.   A.      Landscape    Gardening.      Illustrated.      5  x  7    inches.      250   pp 

Cloth.'   'Keuffel  &  Esser  Co.,  N.  Y. 
REED,  MAJOR   HENRY  A.     Topographical    Drawing  and  Sketching,  Including 

Photography  Applied  to  Surveying. 

Illustrated,  with  plates,  colored  and  plain.    4to.    Cloth.    Keuffel  &  Esser  Co.,  N.  \  . 

♦Selected  from  Book  List  of  Peter  Henderson,  Philadelphia. 


'-'70  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

*KELLAWAY,  II  T.  Landscape  architect.  How  to  Lay  Out  Suburban  Home 
Grounds. 

A  new  work  giving  up-to-date  information  and  illustrated  with  38  photographic  views 
•       and  16  plans  and  maps. 

♦PARSONS,  HENRY  M  Ex-Superintendent  of  Central  Park.  Landscape  Gar- 
dening. 

*WAUGH,    PROF.      Landscape  Gardening.     University  of  Vermont. 
A  short  treatise  on  the  principles  governing  outd -  art. 

♦JOHNSON,  J.    P.     Residential  Sites  and  Environments. 

All  information  for  developing  residential  surroundings;  diagrams,  suitable  plants, 
trees,  shrubs,  grouping,  culture,  etc. 

PARKER,  G.  A.  The  Park  Problem,  and  Outdoor  Art.  Chautauquan,  Special 
Civics  Number  Two.     \*<>1.  XXXIX.     No.  4. 

The  Trees.     Special  Civics,  Number  3.     Chautauquan,  Vol.  XLI.     No.  4. 

AMERICAN  CIVIC  ASSOCIATION. 

"Suggestions  for  Beautifying  Home,  Village  ami  Roadway,"  Warren  II.  Manning; 
"Trees."  .1.  Horace  McFarland;  "Some  Features  of  Pennsylvania  Forestry,  "Joseph  T. 
Ftothxock. 

Park  it  Cemetery  for  February;  1906,  containing  the  following  addresses:  "The  Second 
Step  in  Municipal  Park  Development,"  ('•.  A.  Parker:  "Outdoor  Art."  Warren  H. 
Manning;  "Extension  of  Connecticut  State  Capitol  Grounds  "  Frederick  I..  Ford: 
"Improvement  of  Washington,"  Charles  Moore;  "The  Work  of  Civic  Improvement," 
.1.  M.  Good.  (  American  League  for  Civic  Improvement.)  A  sketch  of  actual  achieve- 
ment in  villages,  towns,  ami  cities. 

"The  How  of  Improvement  Work,"  J.  M.  Good.  (American  League  for  Civic  Im- 
provement.) Illustrates  methods  by  relating  actual  experiences  and  accomplish- 
ments. 

ROBINSON,  CHAS.   MULFORD.     Modern  Civic  Art.     Putnams. 

ROBINSON,  CHAS.   MULFORD.     The     Improvement     of     Towns     and     Cities. 

Putnams. 

ROBINSON,  CHAS  MULFORD.  Landscape  Gardening  for  Playgrounds.  Pro- 
ceedings P.  A.  A.     (1908.) 

ROBINSON.  WM.  Wild  Gardening.  Files  of  the  Garden  Magazine,  and  Country 
Life  in  America.     (March,  April,  May,  June  and  Julv,  1909.) 

LELAND,  ARTHUR.  Organization  and  Construction  of  Playgrounds.  American 
Gymnasia.      (April,   May,  June,   August,    1907.) 

LELAND,  LORNA  H.  Playground  Construction.  An  ideal  Development  for  a 
Playground  live  to  six  acres  in  extent.  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education. 
(Mar.  1908.)     Reprint  No.  69.     P.  A.  A. 

WHIGHAM,  H.  J.  The  Ideal  Golf  Links.  Scribner's  Magazine.  (Mav,  1909.) 
Vol.  XLV,  No.  5. 

TRAVIS,   WALTER   J.     Practical  Golf.     Harper  &  Bros.,  N.  Y. 

TOMPKINS,  FREDERICK  CHAS  Court  Tennis  with  Notes  on  Squash  Racquets. 
J.  B.  Lippincott  Co. 

LELAND,  ARTHUR.  Playground  Construction.  The  North  Denver  Playground. 
Hygiene  and  Physical  Education.     (April  1908.) 

LELAND,  ARTHUR  and  LELAND,  LORNA  HIGBEE.  Playground  Construc- 
tion. The  Evolution  of  the  St.  Paul  Playgrounds.  Hvgiene  and  Physical  Edu- 
cation,    (May.  June,  July,  1909.) 


■Selected  from  Hook  List  of  Peter  Henderson,  Philadelphia. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  '"'  1 

Natatorium  Number  of   Hygiene  and  Physical   Education.     (July   1909.)     Vol.   I. 


Xo.  5. 

ALLEN,  JOHX  K.      Editor  "Domestic  Engineering."    Swimming  Pools.    A  Prac- 
tical Guide  to  Their  Construction.     64  pages.     Illustrated.     Cloth. 

See  Farmers'  Bulletins  and  Publications  of  the  Department  of  Forestry,  Gifford 
Pinchot,  Forester.     Superintendent  of  Public  Documents  has  price  lists. 

SEE  FILES  OF:  „      ,       w         .       XT  v      „     ,  ,    . 

Park  and  Cemetery,  Chicago.  R.  J.  Haight;  Garden  Magazine,  N.  Y.  Doubleday, 
Page  &  Co. ;  Country  Life  in  America,  N.  Y.  Doubleday,  Page  &  Co. ;  Country  Homes 
and  Gardens,  N.  Y.,  Munn  &  Co.;  Municipal  Journal  and  Engineer,  New  York;  Mu- 
nicipal Affairs,  New  York;  Municipal  Engineering,  Indianapolis;  Public  Improve- 
ments, New  York;  Chautauquan,  New  York;  Suburban  Life;  The  American  City, 
New  York;  City  Government;  Engineering  News,  New  York. 

Playground  Equipment 
LEE,    TOSEPH.     Play  and   Playgrounds.      Reprint,   American   Civic   Association. 

LEE,  JOSEPH.     A  System  of  Public  Playgrounds.     Chautauquan.     Vol.  XLIII. 

No.  34. 
RAFTER,   ELIZABETH   J.     Playground  Equipment.     P.  A.  A.    Playground    Xo. 

18. 
LEE,  JOSEPH.     A  Home  Playground.     Proceedings  P.  A.  A.     (1908.) 

ARXOLD,  DR.   E.   H.    Some    Inexpensive    Playground   Apparatus.      Proceedings 

P.  A.  A.     (1908.) 
CHASE,  JOHX   H.     Should  a  Playground  Always  be  Fenced?     Playground,  Xo. 

20-21. 
HARDY,   WALTER  E.     Shade  for  Playgrounds.     Playground.     (April,  1909.) 

HAMXER,  LEE  F.  First  Steps  in  Organizing  Playgrounds.  Reprint,  No.  56. 
Report  of  Committee  on  Equipment,  Playground  Association  of  Amenca, 
Proceedings.     (1909.) 

HOUSEKEEPING    AND    HOME    ECONOMICS 

Nutrition  and  Diet 
CHITTEXDEX,  RUSSELL  H.     The  Nutrition  of  Man.     New  York.     Frederick 
A.  Stokes  Co.     (1907.) 

COXX.  H.  W.  Ph.D.  Eacteria  in  Milk  and  its  Products.  Philadelphia.  P. 
Blakiston's  Son  &  Co.     Excellent. 

COXX.  H.  W.,  Ph.D.  Clean  Milk.  Xew  York.  The  Hardy  Publishing  Co. 
Should  be  in  every  library. 

FLETCHER,  HORACE.  The  A,  B,  to  Z  of  our  Nutrition.  Xew  York.  F.  A. 
Stokes  Co.     Explaining  the  value  of  "Fletcherism." 

RICHARDS,  MRS.  ELLEX  H.  The  Cost  of  Food,  a  study  in  Dietetics.  Xew 
York.     John  Wiley  &  Sons. 

RORER,  MRS.     Vegetable  Cookery  and  Meat  Substitutes.    328  pages.    Auld  &  Co. 

(1909.) 
WILEY,  HARVEY  W.,  M.D.     Foods    and    their    Adulteration.       Philadelphia. 

P.  Blakiston's  Son  &  Co.     Exceedingly  valuable  for  those  interested  in  pure 

food  legislation. 

See  Farmers'  Bulletins. 

Hygiene  of  the  Home 
ALLEX,  WILLIAM  H.,  M.D.     Civics  and  Health.     Boston,  Ginn  &  Co.     (1909.) 
Valuable,  intensely  practical,  and  up-to-date. 


272  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

BIRXKY.   MRS.  T.   W.,     Childhood.      F.   A.   Stokes  Co.,   New  York. 

"A  1  >< >< >k  which  will  be  an  inspiration  to  every  father  and  mother  to  whom  a 
true  home  is  an  ideal,  and  to  those  to  whom  true  home  making  is  a  study  and 
a  goal,  its  pages  will  shed  a  veritable  radiance  upon  their  way." 

CURTIS,  EDW.  Nature  and  Health.  A  Popular  Treatise  on  the  Hygiene  of  the 
Person  and  i  lie  Home.  New  Y<  irk,  Henry  Holt  &  Co.  One  of  the  best  and  most 
popular  books  on  health.     Well  written. 

FRANKLAXD,  PERCY  F.  Our  Secret  Friends  and  Foes.  A  classic  little  book. 
Popular  presentation  of  the  role  of  bacteria  in  nature. 

GERHARD.  WM.  PAUL.  The  Disposal  of  Household  Wastes.  D.  Van  Nos- 
trand  &  Co.     Practical  and  useful. 

GERHARD,  WM.  PAUL.  Modern  Baths  and  Bath  Houses.  New  York,  John 
Wiley  &  Sons.     Excellent. 

GULICK,  LUTHER  H.  The  Efficient  Life.  New  York,  Doubleday,  Page  &  Co. 
Inspirational  and  suggestive. 

GULICK.  LUTHER  and  OTHERS.     Gulick  Hygiene  Series,  Ginn. 

HALL,  G.   STANLEY.    Youth,    Its    Education,    Regimen,    and    Hygiene.      New 

York,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.     Every  teacher  should  read  it. 

HALL,  WINFIELD  S.,  M.D.  Sexual  Hygiene.  Chicago,  Wynnewood  Pub- 
lishing Co.     A  safe,  scientific  presentation. 

HOLT,  L.  EMMET.    The  Care  and  Feeding  of  Children.    4th  Edition.    Illustrated. 

HUGGARD,  W.  R.  A  Handbook  of  Climatic  Treatment  and  Balneology.  Mac- 
millan  &  Co.,  New  Yrork.  The  best  discussion  of  the  Hygienic  aspects  of 
climate. 

HUTCHINSON,  ROBERT,  M.D.  Food  and  Dietetics.  Wm.  Wood  &  Co.,  New 
York.     A  complete  survey  of  the  subject  with  diet  prescriptions  for  disease. 

PARKES.  Manual  of  Hygiene.  Third  Edition.  The  latest  edition  is  well  written. 
Presents  all  phases  of  the  subject  acceptably. 

PRUDDEN,  T.  MITCHELL.     Water  and  Ice.     Reliable. 

REED,  C.  SANFORD.  M.D.     Fads  and  Feeding.     London,  Macmillan  &  Co. 

RICHARDS,  MRS.  ELLEN  H.  Sanitation  in  Daily  Life.  Boston,  Whitcomb  & 
Barrows.  An  excellent  little  book  popular  in  treatment,  cultivating  obser- 
vation. 

RIDEAL,  SAMUEL.  Water  and  its  Purification.  Philadelphia.  J.  B.  Lippin- 
cott  Co.     Standard  reference  book. 

See  Farmers'   Bulletins;  Hygiene   and   Physical    Education;  Good    Health;    Good 
Housekeeping;  Ladies' Home  Journal;  World's  Work;  McClure's. 

Accidents  and  Sickness 

DULLES,  CHARLES  M.     Accidents  and  Emergencies.     Philadelphia,  P.  Blakis 
ton's  Son  &  Co.     Not  prepared  for  the  medical  profession  but  excellent  for 
others. 

GRIFFITH,  J.  QUINTIN.  Helps  and  Hints  in  Nursing  (Homeopathic  Family 
Guide).      Boerick  &  Tafel. 

HUGGARD,  W.  R.  A  Handbook  of  Climatic  Treatment  and  Balneology.  New 
York,  The  Macmillan  Co.  The  best  discussion  of  the  hygienic  aspects  of 
climate. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  273 

KELLOGG,  J.    H..   M.D.       Rational     Hydrotherapy.        Battle     Cr«  Modern 

Medicine  I'vili.  Go.     An  excellent  treatment  of  the  ovater  in  health 

disease. 

LAURIE,  JOSEPH,  M.D.  and    McCLATCHEY,   R    J..   M.D.     Homeopathic  Do- 
mestic Medicine.     Boerick  and  Tafel,  Philadelphia.     1034  pages.     4th  Edition. 

The  best  family  medical  adviser  of  the  Homeopathic  School 

HOLT.   L.   EMMET,   M.D.     Diseases  of  Infancy  and  Childhood.     Fourth  Edition. 

Illustrated. 

LEWIS.  S.   VIRGINIA.     Nursing. 

LYNCH,   MAJOR  CHARLES.     American  National  Red  Cross  Text-book  on  First 
Aid  and  Relief  Columns.     Philadelphia.     P.   Blakiston's  Son  &  Co.     Clearly 

stated,  practical,  well  illustrated. 

HYGIENIC     ORGANIZATIONS     AND     PUBLICATIONS     DEVOTING     SPECIAL 
ATTENTION  TO  THE  SUBJECT  OF  CIVICS  AND  HEALTH. 

Publications  of  The  Health-Education  League.      Boston,   Mass. 

Publications  of  the  American  Society  of  Sanitary  and  Moral  Prophylaxis. 

Publications  of  Chicago  Society  of  Social  Hygiene. 

Publication  American  School  Hygiene  Association. 

Publications  of  American  Physical  Education  Association. 

Publication  American  Red  Cross.     500  5th.  Ave.,  X.  Y. 

Publications  New  York  Committee  on  Physical  Welfare  of  School  Children. 

Publications  of  the  American  Health  League  of  the  Committee  of  One  Hundred 
on  National  Health. 

Publications  of  Dental  Hygiene  Council  of  Mass. 

Reports  of  the  American  Home  Economics  Association,  Department  of  Child 
Study,  Department  of  Physical  Education  of  the  National  Education  Associa- 
tion.   Irwin  Shepard,  Secy.,  Winona,  Wis. 

Publications  of  the  Russel  Sage  Foundation. 

Publications  of  the  U.  S.  Government.  Apply  to  Supt.  of  Public  Documents, 
Washington,  Price  List,  No.  11,  Food  and  Diet,  No.  12,  Water  Pollution, 
No.   14    Medical  Research. 

Publications  of  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  a  monthly  list  of  which  will 
be  sent   to  those  who  apply  for  it.     Jos.   A.   Arnold. 

Files  of  Hygiene  and  Physical  Education.     Springfield,  Mass. 

Files  of  Ladies'  Home  Journal,  Phila. 

Files  of  Good  Housekeeping,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Files  of  American  Kitchen  Magazine,  Boston. 

Files  of  Boston  Cooking  School  Magazine,  Boston. 

Files  of  The  Federation  Bulletin,  Huston. 

Files  of  The  Chautaucjuan,  \.  Y. 

Files  of  Good  Health,  Battle  Creek,  ami  Health,  Lansing,  Mich. 

Files  of  The  Christian  Citizen,  Boston. 

Files  of  Outlook,  and  The  Nation,  New  Y  >rk. 

Files  of  The  Independent,  New  York. 

Files  of  The  Survey.  New  Y'>rk. 

Files  of  American  Physical  Education  Review,  Sprii 

Files  of  The  World's  Work,  and  McClure's  Magazine.' 


274 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


FARMERS'    BULLETINS 

Forestry,  Landscape  Gardening  and  School  Gardening 


228.     Forest     Planting     and     Farm 

ment.    Pp.  22. 
134.     Tree  Planting  in  Rural  School  Grounds 

Pp.  32. 
173.     Primer  of  Forestry.     Pp.  48. 

358.     A  Primer  of  Forestry.     Part  II. 
cal  Forestry. 
Propagation  of  Plants.      Pp.  24 

185.  Beautifying  the  Home  Grounds. 

195.  Annual  Flowering  Plants.     Pp. 

248.  The  Lawn.    Pp.  20. 

99.  Insect  Enemies  of  Shade  Trees. 

181.  Pruning.    Pp.  39. 

255.  The  Home  Vegetable  Garden. 

218.  The  School  Garden.    Pp.  40. 


270.     Modern     Conveniences     for     the     Farm 
Home.    Pp.  48. 

182.  Poultry  as  Food.    Pp.  40. 

183.  Meat  on  the  Farm ;    Butchering,  Curing, 

and  Keeping.    Pp.  37. 

34.     Meats;       Composition      and      Cooking. 
Pp.  31. 
332.     Nuts  and  Their  Uses  as  Food.    Pp.  28. 

42.     Facts  About  Milk.    Pp.  32. 

74.     Milk  as  Food.     Pp.  39. 
348.     Bacteria  in  Milk.    Pp.  24. 
128.     Eggs  and  Their  Uses  as  Food.    Pp.  40. 

85.     Fish  as  Food.     Pp.  32. 
121.     Beans,    Peas,    and    Other    Legumes    as 
Food.   Pp.  38. 

93.     Sugar  as  Food.    Pp.31. 
291.     Evaporation  of  Apples.     Pp.  38. 
293.     Use  of  Fruit  as  Food.    Pp.  38. 
295.     Potatoes  and  Other  Root  Crops  as  Food. 
Pp.  45. 


klanage- 

341. 

!  rounds. 

86. 
187. 

263. 

Practi- 

44. 

Pp.  24. 
48. 

77. 
266. 

Pp.  30. 

245. 

257. 

Pp.  47. 

126. 

Housekeeping 

256. 

298. 

359. 
112. 
175. 

131. 

155. 

127. 
297. 
345. 


The  Basket  Willow.    Pp.  43. 

Thirty  Poisonous  Plants.     Pp.  32. 

Drainage  of  Farm  Lands.     Pp.  38. 

Practical   Information   for   Beginners^in 
Irrigation.    Pp.  40. 

Commercial  Fertilizers.     Pp.  38. 

The  Liming  of  Soils.    Pp.  24. 

Management     of     Soils      to      Conserve 
Moisture.    Pp.  30. 

Renovation  of  Worn-out  Soils.     Pp.  16. 

Soil  Fertility.     Pp.  39. 

Practical    Suggestions   for    Farm    Build- 
ings.   Pp.  48. 


Preparation  of  Vegetables  for  the  Table. 
Pp.  48. 

Food  Value  of  Corn  and  Corn  Products. 
Pp.  40. 

Canning  Vegetables  in   the   Home. 

Bread  and  Bread  Making.     Pp.  40. 

Home  Manufacture  and  Use  of  Unfer- 
mented  Grape  Juice.    Pp.  16. 

Household  Tests  for  Detection  of 
Oleomargarine  and  Renovated  Butter. 
Pp.  10. 

How  Insects  Affect  Health  in  Rural  Dis- 
tricts.   Pp.  19. 

Important  Insecticides.    Pp.  46. 

Methods  of  Destroying  Rats.     Pp.  8. 

Some  Common  Disinfectants.    Pp.  12. 


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address  in  the  United  States  on  application  to 
your  Senator  or  Representative  in  Congress,  or 
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APPENDIX 

THE  PROPER  RELATION  OF  ORGANIZED  SPORTS  ON  PUB- 
LIC PLAYGROUNDS  AND  IN  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS* 

By  Mrs.  Lorna  Highee  Leland 
Secretary,  Department  of  Physical  Education,  N.  E.  A.,  Denver  Convent  inn, 

1909 

Sports  for  public  schools  and  public  playgrounds  will  be  influenced 
by  the  fundamental  principles  underlying  the  work  of  the  two  institutions. 
Each  has  a  specific  mission. 

THE   PLAYGROUND    STANDS    FOR   NATURAL   EDUCATION,    RACIAL   EDUCATION, 

SELF  EDUCATION 

The  playground  furnishes  practically  the  only  place  in  the  city  where 
the  child  is  not  obliged  to  do  things  which  are  foreign  or  distasteful  to  its 
nature.  It  furnishes  the  opportunity  for  the  development  of  the  individual 
along  racial  and  primitive  lines,  which  must  serve  as  a  foundation  for  the 
finishing  touches  of  civilization.  It  enforces  the  authority  of  tradition  as 
translated  by  the  social  consciousness  of  the  children  themselves. 

Play  is  nature's  short  cut  to  experience;  it  teaches  the  lessons  which 
were  beneficial  to  the  race  in  past  ages.  The  consciousness  of  the  normal 
child  at  various  stages  of  its  growth  is  the  best  guide  as  to  the  content  and 
the  manner  of  applying  these  lessons. 

The  play  director  is  the  interpreter  of  race  traditions,  and  has  become 
necessary  by  the  conditions  of  civilization,  which  have  prevented  the  child 
from  observing  the  activities  of  adults  under  favorable  conditions  and  with 
opportunity  for  imitation.  The  group  consciousness  of  children  runs  the 
playground.  The  play  instructor  secures  his  influence  from  the  fact  that 
he  knows  more  things  which  will  interest  the  children  than  any  one  of  their 
natural  street  leaders.  Knowing  these  points  of  contact,  he  leads  the  child 
from  one  stage  of  primitive  thought  and  action  to  another  and  higher  stage. 
The  child,  however,  is  always  the  supreme  judge  of  the  efficiency  of  the 
leadership. 

PLAYGROUND   ACTIVITIES  MUST  BE   RECREATIVE   AND 

INTERESTING 

Playground  activities  must  first  of  all  be  interesting:  otherwise  the 
child  will  play  on  the  streets  or  the  vacant  lot.     A  system  of  educational 

*A  paper  read  at  Denver  Convention  of  National  Bducation  Association,  July,  1909. 

275 


•,!7<;  PLAYGROUND     rECHNIQUE    WD    l'LAYCRAFT 

play  for  the  playground  musl  be  prescribed  with  absolute  freedom  for  the 

child  to  choose  just  \vh;il  he  will  play  and  \vh;il  he  will  nol  play.  The  chil- 
dren's interest,  however,  cannol  always  he  trusted  implicitly.  Our  system 
of  play  must  be  submitted  for  trial;  if  accepted,  we  may  be  assured  it  has 
some  of  the  elements  required,  then  its  effeel  upon  the  children  musl  he 
observed  in  order  to  see  if  the  progression  is  along  ethical,  educational  and 
hygienic  lines. 

Whatever  the  educational,  hygienic  and  sociological  ends  which  the 
public  playground  has  to  serve,  they  musl  be  achieved  through  the  recrea- 
tive application  of  play. 

THK     SCHOOL    STANDS     FOB     THE     ACQUIRED     EDUCATION     <»I      CIVILIZATION 

The  school  stands  for  the  education  of  the  present  day  civilization,  and 
the  adaptation  of  the  child  to  this  civilization.  The  school  system  has  been 
developed  by  adults  to  meet  these  requirements  as  they  see  them  from 
their  standpoint.  It  represents  to  them  the  ideals  towards  which  the  race 
is  consciously  working. 

To  the  child,  it  represents  external  authority,  along  with  the  teaching 
of  parents,  of  the  church  and  society  in  general.  School  is  the  personifica- 
tion of  the  "'eternal  musts."  It  is  the  place  to  learn  to  work  at  disagreeable 
duties.  School  and  work  have  a  distinctive  value  in  the  education  of  the 
child.     Everything  in  life  cannot  be  done  in  the  spirit  of  play.     Groos  says, 

"Among  primitive  races,  where  the  life  work  is  for  the  most  part  guided  by  nature,  at  least  in 

the  cav  of  males,  boys  may  gel  sufficient  preparation  from  play  for  their  later  life"  .... 
"But  with  civilized  people,  usage  to  earnest,  persistent  effort,  that  is  not  dependent  upon 
caprice  or  impulse,  is  an  indispensable  condition  for  success  in  the  struggle  for  life,  and  for 
this  reason  school  life  should  promote  a  high  sense  of  duty  as  opposed  to  mere  inclination." 

Therefore  the  teacher  is  essentially  a  disciplinarian  and  often  a  task  mas- 
ter personifying  work,  necessity  and  duty. 

I  HE  SCHOOL  MIST  MEET  THK   NEEDS  OF  THE  AVERAGE  PUPIL 

Since  the  public  school  was  founded  for  the  purpose  of  general  educa- 
tion, it  must  meet  I  he  needs  of  the  greatest  number  of  pupils.  Hence,  of 
necessity,  the  brightest  must  be  kept  back  in  order  not  to  outstrip  the  dull- 
ards. Necessarily  the  passing  mark  is  such  that  every  student  with  proper 
study  can  reach  it.  Such  methods  raise  average  intelligence,  but  tend  to 
limit  individual  initiative,  which  is  one  of  the  chief  concomitants  of  civiliza- 
tion. 

THE    DISCIPLINE  <>I    SCHOOLS   AND   PLAYGROUNDS   is   ANTITHETICAL 

The  difference  between  school  and  playground  methods  is  clearly  seen 
in  the  manner  of  discipline.  At  school,  if  the  child  does  not  observe  the 
rules,  we  keep  him  in  longer  as  punishment.  In  the  playground,  if  he  does 
not  observe  the  rules,  which  arc  largely  of  his  own  making,  we  put  him  off 
the  grounds,  trusting  to  he  able  to  make  the  play  so  interesting  that  such 
discipline  will  be  real  punishment. 


APPENDIX  277 

SCHOOL    SPORTS    SHOULD    DEVELOP    ALL    THE    (  HILDREN 

The  lessons  of  the  playground  and   the  school  arc  both   accessary; 

whatever  use  either  institution  makes  of  play,  it  seems  besl  thai  each  should 
follow  its  own  traditions.  Therefore,  a  system  of  sports  for  public  schools 
should  fulfill  the  following  conditions: — 

First.  They  should  be  educational,  embodying  the  principles  which  adults  6nd  best 
for  the  children  toacquire.    They  should  be  fully  coordinated  with  the  educational  plan. 

Second.  They  should  be  adapted  to  minister  to  the  hygienic,  social  and  educational 
conditions,  which  obtain  with  the  majority  of  the  pupils.  (The  \aluc  of  exercise  as  a  means 
of  physical  development  is  directly  related  to  hygiene  and  nutrition.  Many  of  our  city  chil- 
dren are  underfed;  they  sutler  from  insufficient  sleep,  unsanitary  conditions  of  living;  and 
should  they  engage  in  vigorous  exercise,  not  having  the  necessary  food  or  conditions  for  creat- 
ing the  required  energy,  the  effect  would  be  distinctly  harmful  and  unhygienic.  The  stimulus 
of  intense  competition  might  lead  the  ambitious,  nervous  child  to  greatly  exceed  the  safe 
limitations  of  his  strength.) 

Third.  They  should  be  compulsory,  in  order  thai  every  child  may  receive  the  benefits, 
otherwise  the  timid  child  will  not  participate.  They  should  he  a  regular  part  of  school  work: 
and  the  standards  should  he  within  the  reach  of  the  average  child.  Specialization  and  the  for- 
mation of  permanent  teams,  therefore,  is  inadvisable. 

Folrth.  They  must  he  adapted  to  such  material  conditions  of  equipment  and  space  as 
obtain  in  our  schools  without  extensive  immediate  changes. 

Lastly.  While  conforming  to  all  these  conditions,  they  must  not  lose  their  identity  as 
sports. 

COMPETITION    IX    SCHOOL    SPORTS    SHOULD    BE    SUFFK  I  KM"    ONLY    TO    HOLD 

THE   INTEREST  OF  THE   CHILDREN" 

The  games  and  sports  of  the  school  should  be  in  a  measure  preparatory 
to  the  freer  competitive  sports  of  the  playground.  The  fundamentals  of 
the  games  should  be  part  of  the  systematic  physical  education  of  the  sehools. 
Informal  intra-school  contests  should  be  sufficient  to  hold  interest.  The 
organization  of  clubs  within  the  school  is  apparently  the  best  method.  In 
St.  Paul,  I  organized  three  athletic  clubs  in  one  of  the  schools.  Each  club 
had  a  team  in  each  of  the  branches  of  sport,  basketball,  baseball,  hockey, 
etc.  The  total  results  of  the  series  of  games,  in  which  teams  of  the  different 
clubs  played  each  other  was  made  the  basis  of  competition.  Perhaps  a 
better  method  would  be  to  have  all  the  games  as  class  work,  choosing  sides 
each  time.  Active  participation  by  every  pupil  and  equal  development  of 
all  players  should  be  the  ideal  of  school  sports. 

THE  PLAYGROUND  SHOULD  DEVELOP  LEAD]  RS 

The  development  of  leaders,  however,  is  a  most  important  part  of 
education.  Competition  is  the  best  method  for  developing  individual  effi- 
ciency. The  traditions  of  the  playground  are  such  that  it  furnishes  un- 
equalled-opportunities for  the  development  of  leadership.  1  waders  can  only 
be  developed  in  an  atmosphere  of  liberty. 

The  church,  the  school  and  the  home,  since  they  arc  enforcing  external 
rules  are  obliged  to  temper  their  judgment  with  mildness  accordingly. 
They  shield  the  child  from  the  consequences  of  his  own  misdoings.    Mater- 


278  PLAYGROUND   TECHNIQUE   AND    PLATCRAFT 

nalism  develops  one  side  of  life;  when  overdone,  it  creates  dependence. 
Critics  of  the  present  school  system  claim  that  things  are  made  too  easy 
for  the  pupils,  that  knowledge  is  fed  out  to  them  in  homeopathic  sugar 
coated  doses,  and  that  school  life  unfits  them  for  the  burly  burly  of  life. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  the  playground  training  is  necessary. 
It  represents  real  life  standards.  In  order  "to  make  the  team,"  it  is  neces- 
sary to  "deliver  the  goods."  If  little  .Johnnie  "muffs  a  pop  up."  his  peers 
sit  in  judgment  and  the  jury  of  equals  do  not  listen  to  the  plea  that  "he  did 
his  best."  The  verdict  is  "go  play  with  the  kids!"  "Give  him  the  sack 
off  the  team ! "    There  is  no  65%  passing  mark  on  the  playground. 

One  of  the  hardest  tasks  the  adult  has,  is  to  understand  and  influence 
childhood.  Through  the  natural  street  leaders  of  the  children,  who  can  be 
influenced  through  the  sports  of  the  playground,  the  great  body  of  the  chil- 
dren can  be  reached. 

INTER-SCHOOL  COMPETITION  CAN  BE   CARRIED   ON   BEST  THROUGH   THE   CO- 
OPERATION OF  THE  PUBLIC  PLAYGROUNDS 

Competition  between  schools  can  best  be  carried  on  with  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  public  playgrounds,  under  the  joint  control  of  that  organization, 
of  the  public  schools,  of  the  private  and  parochial  schools.  These  play- 
ground school  sports  should  furnish  the  opportunity  for  the  development 
of  the  individual  through  competition,  which  the  limitations  of  the  school 
prohibit.  The  organized  sports  of  the  school  should  furnish  training  for 
the  playground  sports,  and  only  those  who  measure  up  to  certain  standards 
both  physical  and  mental  should  be  allowed  to  enter  the  inter-school  games. 
For  example,  suppose  thirty-two  pupils  pass  in  playground  ball  and  in  their 
studies.  These  pupils  would  be  the  playground  ball  squad  to  represent  their 
school  in  competition.  First,  second  and  third  teams  would  be  chosen, 
who  would  compete  with  the  first,  second  and  third  teams  of  another  play- 
ground. The  total  playground  ball  score  would  be  the  combined  scores  of 
all  the  teams. 

Other  sports  should  be  conducted  in  a  similar  manner.  Those  schools 
located  near  a  playground  would  use  it  as  a  place  for  playing  off  district 
games.  The  championship  meet  should  be  a  great  occasion,  possibly  a 
Fourth  of  July  Festival  participated  in  by  the  whole  city.  The  prizes  should 
be  inexpensive,  such  as  ribbons  and  banners  and  should  go  to  the  team, 
school  and  playground  rather  than  to  individuals. 

PHYSICAL    TRAINING     AND     MANUAL    TRAINING     SHOULD     BE     CORRELATED 

THROUGH   CONSTRUCTIVE  PLAY 

The  child's  instinct  for  play  should  not  be  satisfied  with  ready  made 
toys.  Children  should  work  for  their  play,  to  derive  educational  benefit. 
The  official  "bats,  balls"  and  other  equipment  used  for  school  and  play- 
ground games  should  be  "child  made;"  the  champions  those  who  make 
the  best  goods  and  play  the  best  game.    Playground  and  school  sports  can 


APPENDIX  .'?<) 

direct  the  dynamic  stream  of  play  into  the  channels  of  "  playcrqft,"  where  Us 

force  can  become  accustomed  to  industrial  uses.  If  money  is  spent  on  materi- 
als and  instructors  to  teach  the  children  to  make  their  own  play  supplies, 
some  temptations  would  be  removed  from  politicians  and  others  who  are 
not  in  business  for  their  health. 

Such  con-elation  through  play  of  physical  and  educational  forces  would 
be  of  mutual  uplift  and  would  remedy  many  of  the  evils  toward  which  un- 
corrected athletics  inevitably  lead. 

THE   DANCERS   OF   COMPETITION 

Competition  unless  carefully  regulated  tends  to  specialization.  Special- 
ization creates  conditions  favorable  for  commercialism.  Commercialism 
is  at  the  bottom  of  corruption  in  athletics. 

When  a  sport  becomes  so  interesting  that  the  public  prefers  to  sit  on 
the  benches  and  watch  rather  than  to  play,  it  ceases  to  be  a  sport  and  be- 
comes an  art,  consequently  it  can  have  little  influence  as  a  means  of  general 
physical  education.  Sports  in  England  are  developed  by  the  amateur  and 
for  the  amateur.  Consequently  every  one  plays;  fathers  play  with  their 
sons.  Sports  in  America  are  developed  by  the  professional  for  the  profes- 
sional, for  the  purpose  of  making  money,  consequently  if  any  one  keeps 
up  with  the  rapid  specialization  of  the  games,  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
have  any  other  business  in  life. 

When  the  innocent  little  game  of  town  ball  was  taken  and  developed 
as  a  spectacular  art,  great  harm  was  done  to  the  sport  of  our  countrv. 
College,  High  School  and  Athletic  Club  sports  are  professional  in  methods 
and  ideals,  because  they  are  intended  mainly  to  interest  the  spectator  and 
not  for  the  benefit  of  the  player. 

The  American  trait  of  specialization  is  partly  responsible  for  this  and 
it  has  been  helped  along  wonderfully  by  commercial  interests,  which  have 
taken  advantage  of  American  opportunities  in  a  characteristic  American 
way.  Professional  athletics,  if  they  have  a  place,  should  not  set  the  stand- 
ards for  amateur  athletics,  nor  for  the  sports  of  schools  and  playgrounds. 
The  playing  rules  for  professionals  and  amateurs  should  be  upon  an  en- 
tirelv  different  basis.  The  educators  of  our  countrv  can  absolutely  change 
the  tendency  of  our  national  games  by  concerted  action.  The  remedy  lies 
with  the  rules  and  with  the  rules  committee,  which  determine  whether  the 
game  shall  tend  towards  specialization  or  not. 

Rules  committees  have  generally  been  made  up  of  professional  coaches 
and  others,  who  judging  from  results  have  been  interested  largely  in  the 
money  side  of  the  game.  Naturally  such  rules  committees  have  emphasized 
the  possibilities  of  the  games  as  money  makers. 

Nominal  clean  sport  campaigns  may  be  all  right  among  professionals, 
but  for  amateurs,  reform  should  strike  at  the  roots  of  evil  by  modifying  the 
conditions  which  cause  corruption,  rather  than  by  treating  symptoms 
with  the  antidotes  of  registration  of  teams,  who  must  use  "official  balls."' 


-,'NO  PLAYGROl   M>     lit  UNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 

etc.,  the   proceeds  from   the  sale  of  which   pays   the  expense  of  white- 
washing. 

Children,  who  have  ao1  been  subjected  to  corrupting  influences,  natur- 
ally love  fair  play.  They  play  the  game  for  the  game's  sake.  Most  unsports- 
manlike tricks  are  learned  from  coaches  and  others. 

EDUCATORS  SHOULD   PREPARE  AND  PUBLISH  MODIFIED  RULES  TO  DEVELOP 
CHILDREN'S  SPORTS  WITH   AMATEUR   IDEALS 

The  control  of  rules  committees,  modifications  and  publication  of 
rules,  governing  the  sports  of  schools  and  playgrounds  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  educators,  physical  educators,  hygienists  and  others,  who  are  not 
dependent  upon  commercial  interests  in  securing  and  holding  their  positions. 
Such  a  rules  committee  should  modify  our  traditional  games  to  adopt  them 
to  city,  school  and  playground  conditions  and  should  publish  these  modified 
rules  and  keep  control  of  the  situation  rather  than  permit  the  publication 
and  control  to  be  taken  up  by  the  same  interests  which  have  done  so  much 
to  specialize  American  games. 

"When  the  children's  sanies  of  our  country  follow  in  the  commercial 
and  professional  footsteps  of  the  games  for  adults,  as  now  played,  then 
amateur  sport  in  America  will  indeed  be  dead. 


INDEX 


Acknowledgments 

Advisory  ( lommittee        . 
^Esthetic  theory  of  play 
Apparatus;  Los  Angeles 

some  Inexpensive 

specifications  of  homemade   . 

what  to  have 

Appointment  of  South  Park  Board 
Appendix        ... 
Architecture,  playground,  Tart  II 
Arlington  Mills  Playground 
Armour  Square,  plan  of 

Arnold,  Dr.  E.  II 

Athletic;  and  social  play 
Athletics;   for  girls,  need  of 

and  manual  training  correlated 
Atkinson,  A.  S.  .... 

Auditorium,  South  Park 


PAGE 

.     5,  6 
.     103 

27 
156,  157 
195,  196 

201-259 
194  198 
70 
275 
58-77 
106 
77 
195 
160 
35 
170 
179 
76 


256-258 
.     112 

230  234 

.     196 

.       84 

96 

100,  101 


201 


Baby  swing 

Back  slop,  baseball 
Hack  yard  equipment 
Balancing  tree  .      .      .      . 

Baseball;   diamond,  construction 

game,  benefit 

leagues,  school        .... 
Basketball;  court,  surface 

girls 

goals 

Beauty  and  utility     .... 
Bibliography;  of  camps 

gardening 

playgrounds 

Biological;  theory  of  life 

theory  of  play          .... 
Hoys';   club 

gymnasium 

playground 112 

Boone  Hark 60 

Breckenridge,  Madeline  McDowell  78 

Buildings,  Chicago 73-77 

Los  Angeles,  specifications     .         135-157 

St.  Paul 91-97 

Burns,  .Mien  T.,  42 

Burke,  Hon.  James  F 51 

Canandaigua,  X.  Y 69 

Camps;  bibliography 180 

family     .      . 178 

raft    ' 179 

playground 176-177 

Central   Park.   Louisville         .       .       .        63-66 

Celebrations,  Los  Angeles    .      .         129-133 

Charter,  amendment,  St.  Paul        .       96-99 


85 
128 
202 

70 
180 
181 
260 

19 

26 
129 

65 


PAGl 

Chesl   bars 235 

Chicago;  playgrounds 67 

recreation  parks 70   71 

( Ihildhood;  meaning  of        ....       19 

Franklin's,  training 164 

Children,  secure  voles 99 

Christmas 129 

Circus  dav 129 

City  bov 34 

Clay,  kinds  of 86 

Climbing;   pole 241-242 

.  .  196 
.  .  129 
.  .  127 
.  .  149 
.  .  113 
.  .  76 
.  93-96 
56-57 
137-150 


tree         

Club;  boys'  

girls'        

house.  127;  specification 

neighborhood 

rooms,  Chicago      .... 

Como  Avenue  Playground 

Comprehensive  plan 

Concrete;   specifications  of  . 

213,  216 

Contract;   form  of      ....  208-210 

for  supervisor  .      .  ...      108 

Construction;  Playground,  Part  III    82-170 
Apparatus,  Chapter  XXVI    .         201-259 

Constructive  Play 

Philosophy  of,'  Hart  II      .      .         159  166 
Technique  of,  Hart  V       .      .         167-190 

place  of 160 

team  play 160 

in  education 162 

activities  by  ages 170 

Creation  of  new  species        ....     187 

Curtis,  Dr.  Henry  S 70-77 

Dancing,  surface  for 86 

De  Groot,  E.  H 23 

Delinquency,  public  playground  and  38 

relation  of  playground  to       ...       13 

Denver,  North,  Playground       .      .       89  90 

Description,  South  Harks      ...        70-77 

Development,  playground  landscape  ^-.w- 

dening  and  architecture  58-69 

of  ideal  playground     .      .      .         in.) -114 
Dickinson.  John,  Playground    ...       66 

Diamond.  Baseball 84,  87 

Domestic  science- 1  •  3 

Domestication  of  animals     ....     190 
Drainage         82 


Eastman,  Dr.  ('has.  A.         ...       29  33 
Educational;   Method  of  Building  Play- 
grounds;  Part  VI    .      .      .         191   259 
value  of  play 20 


-J  SI 


282 


I'l.WCKOl'Mi    TK<  UNIQUE    AND    PLAYCRAFT 


PAGE 

Education,  Franklin  .  .  .  164-165 
Energy,  surplus,  theory  ....  26 
Equipment;  advantage  <>f  home  made 

193-194 
common  sense  in  ...  194-195 
inexpensive  apparatus       .      .  195-196 

what  to  have 196-197 

philosophy  of 194-198 

Excursions 176 

Experimentation        187 

Family  camps 178 

Fence;  posts,  artistic 120 

and  hedges       120-122 

Fencing;  reasons  for 120 

kinds  of 121 

specifications  of 121 

Field  house,  Chicago 76 

Los  Angeles 123 

Louisville 64 

Fighting  street  railway  ....     105 

First:  wading  pool 61 

work,  construction 82 

Flipping  board 243-246 

Flying  Dutchman       ....         208-210 
Fourth  of  July  Festival;  St.  Paul  101 

Los  Angeles 131 

Franklin,  Benjamin 164 

Frames,  material  for 198 

backyard 230 

swing 211,  216 

teeter 227 

Frame  1  traces;   plan  of 207 

swings  212,  214 

Frame  fittings,  kinds  of  ....  198 
Frictionless  joints 198 

Games,  surface  for 86 

Gardens,  school  ....  181-185 

Gardening,  play  course  in    .      .  181-189 

Home — Association  .      .  185-188 

Gates,  specifications  of  .      .      .121 

General  remarks,  construction         .  113 

Giant  stride;  construction    .      .         222-225 

home  made 222 

surface  under    .  85 

Girls;    need  of  athletics         ....        35 

club 127 

Goals,  basketball 201 

Good  Health  and  Good  Government  51 

Grades;   and  drainage     ....       82-84 

ideal 109 

Grand  jury,  and  playgrounds  ...  43 
Groos  '...'....  22,  23,  26 
Gymnasium;  combination         .         239-242 

construction 192-259 

Echo  Park        157 

equipment        107 

indoor,  for  men 75 

outdoor,  for  men 72 

surface  under 85 

vacation  school 157 


PAGE 

Hardin  Square 72 

Hardv,  Walter  F 117,  118 

Hastings,  Dr.  W.  \V 50 

Health,  good        51 

Hedges       ....  Ill,  120,  181-185 

Hemp  rope 198 

Hillock,  The        196 

Home  Gardening  Association    .  185-188 

Home  Made  Equipment      .      .        192-259 

advantages  of  ....         192-194 

giant  stride 194,  222 

merry-go-round 90 

Home  .Made  Tent 177 

Horizontal;    bar         ....         204-205 

ladder     .      235-236 

Housekeeping  and  cooking        .      .  173 

Hygiene,  playgrounds  a  factor  in         .       46 

'play         .       .       .       .      .      .      .      .      .174 

Hygienic;  value  of  swimming  pools  .  50 
notes 50 

Importance  of  comprehensive  plan        56-57 

Improvements  projected       ....  90 

Incline  ladder 237 

Indian:  boy's  training  ....  29-33 
contribution  of  North  American  to 

playground 28 

Individual,  place  of  constructive  play  in 

development  of         160 

Indoor  gymnasium  for  men       ...  75 

Industrial  work,  recommended        .      .  168 

Inexpensive  playground  apparatus       .  195 

Instinct  and  tradition 19 

Intelligence  developed  through  play  160 

Johnson,  Dr.  Geo.  E 46 

Jump  standards  203 

Jumping;  pit 195,  235 

stairs 196 

Kellogg,  Dr.  J.  H 50 

Kinds  of  Fencing 121 

Labor,  unskilled  and  recreation      .      .       24 
Ladders;  steel  horizontal     .      .         235-236 

steel  inclined 237-238 

steel  and  wire  cable 241 

wood 259 

Landscape  gardening;  development  of  58-69 
methods  of        ....       Ill,  115-119 

need  of         54—55 

play  course  in         ....  181-189 

St.  Paul 94 

Leland,     Arthur      19-25,     54-57,     89-108, 

160-166 

Leland,  Harry  W 162,  170 

Leland,  Lor  ha  Higbee      54-57,  91-115,  275 

Library 75,  127 

Life;   biological  theory  of     ...      .        19 

playground  and      ......       23 

Lindsev,  Judge  Ben.  B.        .      .      .       38-43 


INDEX 


283 


PAGE 

Los  Angeles  playgrounds  and  buildings 

123-156 

home  made  apparatus      .      .        156-158 

Louisville,  Central  Park       ....       62 

first  wading  pool 61 

model  playground 61 

recreation  park 59 

supervised  system 63 

Maintenance,  South  Parks        .      .  76 

Manual  training,  playground    .         168-172 

and  athletics'    . 170 

Materials,  for  construction         .      .       84-87 

for  apparatus 198-199 

Meaning  of  play 19 

Methods  of  construction  .  .  .  82-88 
Merry  -go-Round  construction  .   243-246 

Need  of  athletics  for  girls  ....  35 
Need  of  beautifying  playgrounds  .  54-55 
Need  of  playgrounds  in  country  .  44-45 
New  York,  playgrounds  ....  66 
North  American  Indian  ....  28 
North  Denver  Playground  .  .  89-90 
Nurses'  headquarters 127 

Opening  day         96 

of  field  house 131 

Organized  sports  on  public  playgrounds 

and  in  public  schools    ....  275 

Outdoor,  gymnasium,  genesis  of     .      .  58 

for  men 72 

Los  Angeles 156 

Parallel  bars         . 205 

Pedagogical,  standpoint        ....       27 

value  of  play 26 

Pets 190 

Politics .      103 

Philadelphia,  home  made  supplies  .  192 
John  Dickinson  Playground        .      .       66 

Plan  of  reforestation 188 

Plans,  see  list 10-12 

Play:  philosophy  of.  Part  I  .  .  17-25 
constructive  activities  ....  170 
constructive  and  other  contrasted  160-166 

hygiene 174 

meaning  of 19 

school 165 

theories  of         26-27 

value  of  two  types 160 

Playcraft  League 170 

Playground;  architecture  .       .       58-69 

beautiful 54-57 

Canandaigua 69 

construction 81  -159 

Chicago 70-77 

down  in  the  Blue  Grass  78-79 

grand  jury  and 43 

and  juvenile  delinquency        .      .       38—43 

night 103 

place  of 22-25 


PAGE 

Playground — Continued 

and  public  hygiene        ....        46-52 
and  social  reform  ....       34,  35 

and  school  hygiene      ....       46-50 

rural  districts 44-45 

Recreation;  center     .      .      .       133,  135-149 

park,  Louisville 59-61 

parks  of  Chicago  ....       70-77 

theory  of  play         26 

and  unskilled  labor 24 

why  provide  at  public  expense    .  25 

Reforestation,  a  plan  of        ....     188 

Rochester 69 

Rope 198 

Running  track 84 

Scudder,  Myron  T 44-45 

School;  athletic  league  .      .      .      .105 

Domestic  Science         175 

gardens        181-185 

hygiene  and  playgrounds        .      .       46-52 

and  Playground 23 

play 165 

wading  pool      .      .  .      .      •  117 

St.  Paul  Playgrounds,  evolution  of      91-108 

Sandbox    206-207 

Securing  land 1 91 

See-saws;  construction  .      .         227-230 

surface  under 85 

Self-government  104 

Shade         H8 

Shower  baths 104 

Shrubs H6 

Slide  for  life;   adjustment     ....     248 

cable 253 

construction 251-252 

value  of 197,  251 

Sliding  poles         238 

Slides,  all  seasons      ....         248-250 

backyard      232-234 

Slope,  retaining  a 84 

Small  children's  playground  .  .  72,  113 
Sociological  value  of  play  ....  27 
Sources  of  St.  Paul's  success     .      .  102 

Specifications;  apparatus      .      .  156-157 

materials  for  ....  198-200 

construction  and  erection  of  201-259 

brick  meter  box 83 

buildings,  Los  Angeles,     .      .      .    133-156 

St.  Paul 94 

construction  methods         .      .      .       82-88 

fence 120-122 

Special  features,  Los  Angeles    .  131 

Sport  field 58 

Sports,  playground  and  school  .     275 

State  law,  Minnesota 108 

Stecher,  Wm.  A 192 

Story  hour 127 

Street  railway 105 

Superintendent  of  Parks  ....  105 
Supervised  playgrounds  ....  63 
Supervision 76.  93 


JM 


PLAYGROUND    fECHNIQUE     Wi»    PLAYCRAFT 


PAG1 

Surfaces,  playing s  I  s~ 

Swimming  pools        50 

construction 87 

outdoor ":! 

Swings;  Construction     .      .      198,217-221       Universal  clamp  fittings       ....     214 

Los  Angeles loo      ,-,.,,    ,  ,  ,  ,  L-  nt 


PAGE 

Track  meet 131 

Trapeze 241 

Trick  lilies 242 


origin  of 


1 '.»:» 


Unskilled  labor  and  recreation 
I'tilitv  and  beauty 


Teeters,  construction  .  .  .  227-230 
Teeter  ladders,  attachments      .        247  248 

construction 243 

I. os  Angeles      .  158 

Tennis  courts;   artistic 87 

construction 86 

Tent,  bome  made 177 

Three  story  playground       .  254-255 

Theories  of  play        26-27 

Toys,  children  should  make  .  .  .  162 
Track-:   and  walks 109 

construction 84 


Votes,  children  secure 


24 
70 

99 


\\  ading  pool         61 

school  yard 117 

Walks      ' 109 

Water:  system 83 

use  of 116 

Work;  and  play         22 

first         .      . ' 82 

industrial 168 


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